Stacking the courts: Branson betting on indoor sports complex?

Branson Board of Aldermen (Board) held a special meeting on August 13, 2026. The meeting was to hear presentations on the planned $75 million Branson Indoor Sports Complex. Two professional consulting firms, HVS Convention, Sports & Entertainment and Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, delivered back-to-back presentations on the project’s future, focusing on building plans, debt structures, hard numbers and the long-term stakes. 

The timeline for this project stretches back to 2011 when the municipal plan first officially proposed indoor court expansion. Things got on track and moved into gear after a 2023 study by the Taney County Partnership revived the concept.

Under the current proposed timeline, if the project moves forward, the target opening date is 2029, starting with 18 tournaments. The facility will take time to grow, with full operational “stabilization” expected by 2032, when it is projected to host 28 tournaments annually and draw nearly 52,000 visitors to town.

The plan describes a 129,700-square-foot facility packed with sports infrastructure—a soaring ceiling, premium hardwood floors that can accommodate up to eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball setups, 24 potential pickleball spaces, a commercial kitchen and a massive mezzanine. A retractable bleacher system will fold out to seat up to four thousand spectators.

To finance it, the city must assemble what experts call a “capital stack”—simply a combination of different funding layers. A $10 million anticipated donation will cover 13 percent of the cost. Other local political subdivisions will chip in $15 million, or 20 percent. The city must borrow the remaining $50 million, representing two-thirds of the total funding.

To raise this money, the city plans to issue “special-obligation bonds”—public loans repaid only from specific project revenues, like tourism taxes, rather than general city tax funds. If tournament collections fall short, the city must still find a way to pay the annual debt. 

The Indoor Sports Complex does not stand alone. It is the “crown jewel” and final phase of the larger Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive TIF Redevelopment Plan. In addition to the Indoor Sports Complex, the project covers 17 parcels and consumes 136 acres of land.

Phase 1 will include “The Mammoth Fieldhouse,” described as a “Topgolf-type” destination featuring on-site dining, pickleball and outdoor activities; a hotel with 200 rooms; a biblical tourist attraction; and 200 units of workforce housing. This is a planned private development referred to in the TIF documents as a “biblical center” or a “biblical tourist attraction.”

Phase II includes an additional 118 workforce housing units, a major commercial retail sports store anchor, retail and commercial spaces, a convenience store, two restaurants, and 31 nightly rental tourist cabins.

The full meeting is available on the city’s website at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJufLuhA7EU