ONTARIO, CA — The city of Ontario is about to celebrate the grand opening of the Ontario Sports Empire, a sprawling 200-acre sports and entertainment district designed to bring professional sports, youth tournaments, and year-round community recreation to the Inland Empire.
Owned by the city of Ontario and managed by Sports Facilities Companies, the $850 million mega-complex is slated to open Oct. 24. The facility is situated near Riverside Drive and Vineyard Avenue, just south of the 60 Freeway.
Designed by RJM Design Group and constructed by Tilden-Coil Constructors, the development aims to transform the city's southern gateway into a hub for competition and sports tourism.
At build-out, the venue will be the largest complex of its kind in Southern California, and is touted as the largest west of the Rocky Mountains.
The community sports complex features 20 multipurpose fields for soccer and lacrosse, 14 youth diamond fields, eight full-size baseball and softball diamonds—including two championship fields—four football and rugby fields, and three playgrounds totaling more than 27,000 square feet.
Anchoring the development is a 6,500-capacity Minor League Baseball stadium, which is set to open in April 2026 as the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Single-A affiliate. The stadium features 75,000 square feet of food and beverage offerings across aviation-themed "neighborhoods," including a food hall, splash pad, elevated suites, and an El Patio party zone.
To support heavy tournament traffic, the city extended Vineyard Avenue and added a six-level, 1,300-space parking structure equipped with a massive 152-by-51-foot jumbotron facing the complex's central activity area. Future phases also call for a Stadium Village featuring a 227-room full-service hotel, retail corridors, and public plazas.
Municipal estimates project the district will attract 1.2 million visitors annually, generating $62 million in net spending, $1.5 million in new local tax revenue, and more than 610 full-time jobs.
The city of Ontario is funding the Ontario Sports Empire using bond revenues and revenue from Measure Q, a 1% sales tax increase approved by city voters in 2022.
"The Sports Empire is a testament to the vision of our City Council," Ontario City Manager Scott Ochoa said in a statement. "The Ontario Sports Empire builds on that legacy with a modern venue and a complete sports complex — a place for families to gather, play, compete, and connect for decades to come."
Located 10 minutes from Ontario International Airport and supported by more than 6,000 nearby hotel rooms, the facility will host both local youth leagues and national regional tournaments.
The public grand opening celebration will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The free event begins with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by youth athletic clinics, field challenges, live music, and appearances by professional athletes.
Community members can find additional event details, schedules, and survey links online at ontariosportsempire.com.
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