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David P. Willis  Asbury Park Press

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JACKSON - On a recent afternoon, Jackson developer Vito Cardinale was standing on what will become the corner of a massive indoor sports dome, a centerpiece of Adventure Crossing USA.

Workers have started to clear and prepare land for Cardinale's dream: a $500 million project, which once built will spread over about 300 acres along Monmouth Road sandwiched between Interstate 195 and Six Flags Great Adventure.

"This will probably be one of the greatest sports and entertainment facilities in the Northeast when we're all said and done," said Cardinale, president of Cardinale Enterprises.

Adventure Crossing USA coming to jackson

The goal: create a youth sports and entertainment destination at the Jersey Shore, one that will attract youth sports teams, and other sports participants, from around the Northeast for an extended stay.

Why drive 90 to 180 miles away every weekend when you can come to Adventure Crossing, participate in a sports tournament, eat at its restaurants, see a concert or play laser tag, get a hotel room, and visit other area attractions, such as Six Flags Great Adventure or the Shore's beaches, too?

Parents are "always on the road for two, three hours traveling to take their kid to a baseball, lacrosse, fencing event, soccer event," Cardinale said. "No need to go to Baltimore anymore. No need to go Pennsylvania. No need to go to Ohio.

"We've got it all here," Cardinale said. "This will be the tournament destination."

Copy photographs of renderings and design work. Adventure Sports & Entertainment is under  Construction in Jackson.

The  $500 million Project  to bring a youth sports venue to approximately 300 acres  of land between interstate 195 and Six Flags Great Adventure will soon move to its next phase . Jackson NJ Tuesday,january 15,2019 Doug Hood

And there's a market for it. According to a report prepared by the Otteau Group, 3 million potential visitors live within a 60-minute drive.

Jackson Mayor Michael Reina said Adventure Crossing will make Jackson a better place to live, work and play.

"It is pretty much going to be one of a kind in the entire state," Reina said. "It is very fulfilling to start to see things come to fruition."

Cardinale, who lives in neighboring Millstone Township, is a well-known developer. His other projects include Jackson Crossing, a retail center on South Hope Chapel Road, and Greenleaf Pet Resort of Ocean Township.

He also was the driving force behind the Linda E. Cardinale Multiple Sclerosis Center at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township in honor of his wife, who died five years ago after a battle with multiple sclerosis.

Adventure Crossing, located on Route 537 across from Wawa, has been eight years in the making. Over time, Cardinale has pieced together about 300 acres of land between I-195 and Great Adventure's Hurricane Harbor.

Work on the project's first phase, including clearing and grading land, has begun. This first section of Adventure Crossing is expected to take two to three years to complete.

Copy photographs of renderings and design work. Adventure Sports & Entertainment is under Construction in Jackson.

The $500 million Project to bring a youth sports venue to approximately 300 acres of land between interstate 195 and Six Flags Great Adventure will soon move to its next phase . Jackson NJ Tuesday,january 15,2019 Doug Hood

It consists of a 120,000-square-foot indoor sports dome called Adventure Sports & Entertainment; two hotels, a 134-room Hilton Garden Inn and a 140-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott; eight outdoor sports fields; and a 100,000-square-foot indoor recreational building with a trampoline park, indoor go-kart racing, and an area for video game competitions.

The sports dome will be 89 feet high with five basketball courts, a full turf soccer field, a laser tag area, sports bar with a dining area, a retail sports shop, arcade, a hair salon and party and education rooms.

Adventure Sports & Entertainment has signed basketball, softball and baseball operators, and is partnering with local community programs, said Allan Proske, chief operating officer of Adventure Sports.

A mezzanine level inside the dome will have space for other sports and activities, such as fencing and karate and training, Cardinale said.

Vito F Cardinate, president/CEO of Cardinate Enterprise,talks about the project has undertaken,Adventure Sports & Entertainment is under construction in Jackson. The $500 million Project to bring a youth sports venue to approximately 300 acres of land between interstate 195 and Six Flags Great Adventure will soon move to its next phase . Jackson NJ Tuesday,january 15,2019 Doug Hood

Now the remaining parts of the project are set to go before Jackson's planning board. If approved, the entire project will take five to 10 years to build, Cardinale said.

It includes nine restaurants, including some with drive-thrus, and retail sites along Route 537 as well as a gas and convenience store. There also are plans for a third hotel, a golf facility, an expo center, a retail sports building, a facility with four to six hockey rinks, an outdoor stadium for sports events, such as football, cricket and lacrosse, and concerts.

The plan also includes additional space for retail, apartments, and a brain research center focusing a multiple sclerosis with apartments for people with special needs.

The project is already creating a buzz among prospective tenants, including restaurants, said Giorgio Vasilis, vice president of commercial real estate at Sitar Realty Co. in Woodbridge, the leasing agent.

"They want to be part of this, understanding that there's going to be a massive amount of … family-oriented people coming in for the tournaments and the sporting" events, Vasilis said. "We are having other uses on the site that can accommodate the entire family."

For instance, a golf facility will have a driving range and 60 bays of virtual golf.

Ground broken for Jackason Sports and hotel complex

 And Great Adventure is next door.

 "Jackson and Millstone have been a family entertainment destination for more than 40 years thanks to Six Flags Great Adventure, the world’s ultimate thrill park, and now ACUSA can be the destination for family sports, creating new reasons to visit the area and extending their stay," Cardinale said in a statement.

Have you seen a construction project in Monmouth or Ocean counties and wanted to know what is going there? Contact business writer David P. Willis at dwillis@gannettnj.com, and we will look into it for a future column. Meanwhile, join the What's Going There group on Facebook and stay in touch with the latest developments.

David P. Willis: 732-643-4039; Twitter, dpwillis732; Facebook, dpwillis732; dwillis@gannettnj.com.