Walt Disney World's
ESPN Wide World of Sports says the new venue it's planning will host cheerleading and dance team competitions.
Disney submitted plans for the new 286,000-square-foot facility to the state last month but did not specify then what it would be used for.
Disney says the building will be the world's first venue specifically for cheerleading and dance. Construction will begin this month with completion scheduled for mid-2017. Disney is teaming with the cheerleading organization Varsity Spirit to create the space.
The building "will include a flexible design for one large competition space that can be set up for as many as four competition areas," Disney said in a press release.
There will also be areas tailored for warm-up and practice.
With seating for more than 8,000 people, the new multi-use building could also host six regulation basketball courts, six regulation volleyball courts, or concerts.
The resort currently hosts cheerleading competitions in other venues at its sports complex and at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The new space will allow Disney to bring in more competitions as the sport grows.
The new facility "will be a model for cheerleading and dance team competitions," Maribeth Bisienere, senior vice president of ESPN Wide World of Sports, said in a press release. "We value our young athletes and want to give these incredible guests an experience that can only be achieved at Disney."
