When a prominent Iowa developer announced plans four years ago to build in Grimes what was dubbed the “Midwest’s largest” privately developed youth sports facility, he predicted that 1.5 million visitors annually would descend on the fast-growing city of nearly 17,000 straddling Polk and Dallas counties. But as GrimesPlex nears a grand opening and youth sports are in full swing, the optimistic projections surrounding the ambitious facility compete with a growing number of other options for young athletes. The city two years ago took over the now $31 million development of the complex, and projections of visitors were reduced to 1 million. That leaves the city gambling a pile of public money in a regional race to drive new economic activity through sports. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Grimes #Iowa