REI #2026- 446 “The Runway”: Building 101 Redevelopment Project ADDENDUM

Location:	New York
Posted:	Feb 9, 2026
Due:	Apr 9, 2026
Agency:	Oneida County, New York
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	Y - Construction of Structures and Facilities Z - Maintenance, Repair or Alteration of Real Property
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Oneida County Department of Planning

321 Main Street, 3rd ﬂoor

Utica, New York 13501

Request for Expressions of Interest

“The Runway”

Building 101 Redevelopment Project

Oneida County, New York

REI #2026-446

January 2026

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REI)

THE RUNWAY – BUILDING 101 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK

1. INTRODUCTION

The County of Oneida (County) invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualiﬁed, visionary,

and innovative development and operating teams for the transformation of Building 101 into

“The Runway,” a nationally signiﬁcant, multi-purpose indoor sports, recreation, and tourism

destination. This REI is intended to identify capable partners with the expertise, creativity,

ﬁnancial capacity, and operational experience to deliver a world-class project that will

catalyze economic growth, enhance regional tourism, and redeﬁne the Griffiss Business &

Technology Park as a premier Northeast sports hub.

The County seeks partners who understand the rapidly growing sports tourism industry, the

importance of multi-use recreational programming, and the long-term community and

economic beneﬁts of strategic public–private partnerships. The Runway is expected to serve

residents, families, athletes, spectators, and visitors from across the United States and

internationally.

2. BACKGROUND

Building 101, formerly a U.S. Air Force hangar, is an extraordinary structure comprising more

than 400,000 square feet of enclosed, column-free high-bay space. Situated in Rome within

the Griffiss Business & Technology Park, the building beneﬁts from robust infrastructure and

nearby highway access.

In Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr.’s 2025 State of the County Address,

Building 101 was identiﬁed as a transformative opportunity to support the region’s rapid

growth in sports-based tourism, fueled by the success of facilities such as the NEXUS Center

and Murnane Field. Market trends, including the explosive growth of youth tournaments,

adult recreational programming, pickleball, wellness services, esports, and holistic ﬁtness,

further reinforce the strategic timing of this redevelopment.

Once complete, The Runway will be the largest indoor multi-sport complex in New York State

and the second largest indoor facility of its kind in the nation.

3. PROJECT VISION

The Runway is envisioned as a ﬂexible, multi-dimensional sports and recreation campus

designed to host tournaments, leagues, training camps, community recreation, and

wellness programming. The County intends for The Runway to:

• Serve as a national destination for youth, collegiate, and amateur tournaments.

• Feature multipurpose indoor ﬁelds, courts, training zones, ﬁtness and wellness

amenities, and community program space.

• Offer adaptable indoor programming including soccer, softball, lacrosse, ﬂag

football, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, gymnastics, wrestling, cricket, esports,

track and ﬁtness, arts, childcare, senior activities, technology programming, and

more.

• Integrate outdoor tournament-capable ﬁelds and a pedestrian-focused campus

experience.

• Encourage (but not require) complementary commercial and hospitality

development such as lodging, dining, food halls, breweries, distilleries, retail, or

entertainment.

• Generate measurable tourism, economic activity, job creation, and year-round

activation of the Griffiss Park.

The County seeks partners who can design, develop, operate, and maintain this facility with

long-term sustainability and national competitiveness.

4. SITE & FACILITY SUMMARY

Building 101 offers approximately 400,000+ square feet, including high-bay areas ideal for

multi-sport ﬁeldhouses, court complexes, and ﬁtness/training facilities. Architectural

concept plans indicate program components such as:

• 200,000+ sq ft of ﬁeld sports areas.

• 70,000+ sq ft of court and gymnasium spaces (basketball, volleyball, pickleball).

• 50,000+ sq ft of program, classroom, wellness, arts, childcare, and technology

spaces.

• A new main lobby and façade addition.

• Administrative offices and meeting space.

• Elevated walk/jog track.

• Team rooms, locker rooms, sports medicine, and support systems.

The surrounding acreage allows for the development of:

• Up to six multi-purpose outdoor turf or grass athletic ﬁelds.

• Expanded parking capacity.

• A pedestrian promenade connecting indoor and outdoor amenities.

• Spaces appropriate for hospitality, commercial, or entertainment development.

5. DEVELOPMENT & OPERATING MODEL

Respondents may propose a wide range of development and operating structures. The

County is open to creative, ﬁnancially sound, and operationally proven models, including but

not limited to:

• Long-term operating agreements.

• Lease or sublease arrangements.

• Public–private partnership structures.

• Privately ﬁnanced buildouts with County-supported site preparation.

• Hybrid developer–operator teams.

Amenities beyond core sports programming (i.e. lodging, restaurants, breweries, retail, etc.)

are encouraged but optional. Respondents should also propose their preferred operating

term.

6. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions must include the following:

A. Entity Identiﬁcation & Qualiﬁcations

• Team proﬁles, organizational structure, key personnel, and relevant experience.

B. Concept Vision & Narrative

• Proposed uses, program components, phasing, amenities, and intended user

groups.

C. Development Approach

• Construction strategy, design intent, cost framework, and schedule.

D. Operating Model

• Proposed operational structure, staffing, hours, pricing concepts, partnerships.

E. Financial Capacity

• Evidence of ﬁnancial strength, funding strategies, previous comparable projects.

F. Case Studies

• Examples of similar sports, recreation, tourism, or adaptive reuse projects.

G. References

• References from comparable project partners.

H. Additional Materials

• Any renderings, diagrams, or supplemental narratives supporting the submission.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA & SCORING MATRIX

The County will evaluate submissions using the following scoring framework:

A. Vision & Concept Alignment – 30%

• How well the EOI reﬂects the County’s goals for sports tourism, community use, and

economic development.

B. Experience & Qualiﬁcations – 30%

• Demonstrated success developing and operating comparable facilities.

C. Financial Capacity & Feasibility – 20%

• Strength of team’s ﬁnancial resources, funding approach, and long-term

sustainability.

D. Innovation – 20%

• Creative, forward-thinking design, technology integration, or programming

concepts.

8. COUNTY RIGHTS & DISCLAIMERS

A. This REI does not obligate the County to award or enter into any agreements.

B. This submission of an EOI shall not be deemed to create a contract or any obligation on

the part of the County.

C. The County reserves the right to amend, modify, suspend or withdraw this REI at any time.

D. All costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an EOI shall be borne solely by the

respondent.

E. All EOI shall become property of the County and will not be returned.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

REI #2026- 446 “The Runway”: Building 101 Redevelopment Project ADDENDUM

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