FALLSBURG — Is an Indoor-Sports Dome coming to Fallsburg? According to Fallsburg, Deputy Supervisor Sean Wall-Carty, it could happen.

During the Fallsburg Town Board’s work session on April 4, Wall-Carty presented the idea of an Indoor-Sports Dome in order to “promote healthy living.”

With board approval, Wall-Carty wants to start seeking out grant funding to build a sports dome in Fallsburg so the town can combat the leading causes of severe COVID-19 cases.

“Those likely to get very sick or terminally ill with COVID-19 are those that have cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions,” said Wall-Carty.

According to the Center for Disease Control, those with comorbidities are more likely to be hospitalized and need a ventilator or die than those who do not.

Furthermore, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that Sullivan County is ranked at the bottom when it comes to the quality of care and preventable diseases.

Moreover, Wall-Carty says by reducing those risk factors, the town can lower the severity of those infected with COVID-19 in the future and help improve the County’s overall health ranking.

The sports dome would also allow residents to be active during the winter months where they can partake in soccer, tennis, football, or go for a walk on the indoor track, said Wall-Carty.

“We want this to be a multi-use sports dome in Sullivan County,” Wall-Carty told the Democrat.

The uses for the sports dome could expand and include local food vendors, ancillary businesses that can build around it, and schools could use it for their training sessions.

During the work session, the Hudson Valley Sportsdome, a large indoor multi-sports facility at 92,000 square feet that offers soccer, lacrosse, baseball, etc., and is located in Milton, was given as an example of what could come to Fallsburg.

The town board would need to approve the motion before moving forward with seeking grant funding for the project.

The board will also seek public input on the proposed town-owned sports dome.

Wall-Carty added, “We have to do something and give people that space in those eight months [fall/winter] where they can go and be safe and have an indoor place where they can walk around. This is not just for kids; this is for all ages.”