Amherst lands $80M sports complex

Orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brian McGrath and Dr. Marc Fineberg broke ground on August 31 on the 716 Sports Complex in Amherst, New York, a project that local officials and developers have described as a major new sports and wellness campus. The complex is planned for 330 Maple Road on the former Buffalo Gun Club site and is set to open in 2027, according to Buffalo News, Buffalo Toronto Public Media and KemperSports. The project has been described in some earlier reports as a $50 million development, but Amherst IDA now lists it as nearly $80 million in private investment. The facility is being pitched as a year-round hub for youth sports, training, wellness and related services. ### Why are some reports calling it a $50 million project and others $80 million? Amherst IDA says the project now represents “nearly $80 million private investment” and includes a sports facility tied to a hotel component with separate payment-in-lieu-of-taxes terms. A Buffalo News summary carried by Hotel Online said in April that the proposal had expanded from $50 million to $80 million and now included a $25 million hotel with 120 rooms. (buffalonews.com) February reporting from WIVB and Buffalo Toronto Public Media described the original plan as a $50 million indoor sports complex. Those reports named McGrath and Fineberg as the physician-developers and said the campus would total 331,000 square feet. ### What exactly is being built at 330 Maple Road? The 716 Sports Complex is planned as a 331,000-square-foot campus with indoor fields, courts, track space, wellness and sports performance uses, according to BTPM and WIVB. (amherstida.com) WIVB reported after the groundbreaking that the facility will include two turf fields, six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts and 24 pickleball courts. (btpm.org) KemperSports, which was selected in April to manage the venue, said the site will feature two indoor domes, flexible turf and court space, a nationally competitive indoor track and a family entertainment center. Earlier reporting also said planned uses included integrated health and wellness services, food and beverage offerings and supporting retail. (btpm.org) ### Who is behind the development? Dofi Properties announced in February that McGrath and Fineberg were developing the project with Frank Ciminelli, president and chief executive of Arc Building Partners, on the team. Amherst Town Supervisor Shawn Lavin said at the time that the town had held public hearings and received a positive response from community athletic groups seeking indoor space. (kempersports.com) McGrath told BTPM in February that the scale of the building would set it apart locally, citing an 85-foot roof and a structure 500 feet long by 275 feet wide. Fineberg said in a statement carried by WIVB that athlete health and safety were a priority and that performance science and injury prevention were being integrated into the design. (wivb.com) ### How does the medical piece fit into the sports complex? McGrath and Fineberg are orthopedic surgeons, and early project descriptions tied the complex to wellness, sports performance and integrated health services. BTPM reported that McGrath said he wanted the facility to serve not only athletes but also people with health issues, disabilities and others seeking indoor exercise space during Buffalo winters. (btpm.org) The project’s public materials stop short of detailing a full clinical tenant roster, but Amherst IDA describes it as a large-scale sports, recreation, wellness and hospitality facility. That framing, together with the physician-backed ownership group, places rehabilitation, injury prevention and performance services alongside tournament and recreation uses. (btpm.org) ### What comes next before it opens? A groundbreaking was held on August 31, 2026, and project backers have said the complex is scheduled to open in 2027. KemperSports said it was brought in during construction to provide operating input before launch. Amherst IDA’s project page still lists upcoming board meetings in September, October and November 2026. (amherstida.com) The agency says the sports facility and hotel are structured with separate PILOT terms of 15 years and 10 years, respectively, as the broader development moves toward opening. (amherstida.com) (btpm.org)