Former University of Iowa basketball player and Murray Elite Program Advisor Kenyon Murray is building a new sports facility in North Liberty. 

The new facility will be located at the southeast corner of Dubuque Street and North Liberty Road on roughly four acres of land. 

The building itself will be a one story, 44,000 square foot facility, Murray said in a recent presentation to the North Liberty City Council. 

The project timeline has a goal of being finished before Dec. 31, 2026, with estimated project costs around $13 million, Murray said. 

Murray Elite is receiving $5 million through investors, specifically venture capital investors. The rest is being financed through a banking lending institution. 

For over 20 years, Murray Elite Basketball has provided opportunities for young athletes in the Iowa City area to play competitive basketball. Murray Elite Basketball is a grassroots basketball team working to train athletes to reach their full potential as players and members of society. 

The program emphasizes training that creates well rounded athletes on and off the court by working to improve athlete’s discipline, teamwork, and resilience.   

Jamie Pettigrew, executive director for Murray Elite, said the decision came after years of struggling to find gym space in the community. 

“Historically, we always practiced in various schools in the Iowa City School District, but as we continued to grow, we realized it’s getting more difficult to find spaces [to practice in] because more and more programs are popping up in the area,” Pettigrew said. 

Murray Elite is partnering with Elite Fitness, a gym located in Cedar Rapids, with the creation of the new facility. Along with basketball courts, the fitness center will also include a workout facility provided by Elite Fitness, along with a strength and agility section of the building. 

Pettigrew said Murray Elite would also be open to potential partnerships with Liberty High School, since the school is directly across the street.

Murray Elite recently sponsored the Liberty High School Color Run in September, kickstarting their partnership with the school. 

A goal in the program is to create financial opportunities for athletes in the area.

The team has helped over 100 high school athletes get Division I  scholarships and over 90 athletes get Division II  scholarships.

The program has produced a number of notable UI athletes, Pettigrew said, including Connor McCaffery, Patrick McCaffery, Austin Ash, Jarrod Uthoff, and Joe Weiskamp.

“We’ve been blessed to have so many guys come from our program and stay home in Iowa to play,” Pettigrew said. 

Murray said he feels the new facility will set itself apart from competitors, making it a destination in the Iowa City area. 

“When you have a physical therapy company, 24-hour fitness center, and court space to do a number of activities, which obviously includes basketball, we really separate ourselves from what other facilities like ours are doing,” Murray said.

Emerson Adams, a student-athlete at Liberty High School, said she sees the addition of this new sporting complex as a positive to the community, as the Liberty gyms will be more accessible to student athletes. 

“Our gym space is always limited at Liberty, and with multiple sports taking place at the same time, it can be very difficult to schedule practices,” Emerson said.

North Liberty is a growing community, going from a population of 20,393 in 2022 to 20,782 in 2023. Liberty High School is relatively new, opening nine years ago. 

Because of these things, Emerson said she believes it is important to establish a strong culture within the basketball community in the area.

“I feel like this new facility will really help define the basketball culture in our community. It will give players in the community a chance to improve,” Emerson said. 

As the construction begins, Pettigrew said he wants to emphasize the foundation of Murray Elite is to teach athletes skills that go beyond the court.

“Basketball teaches young people so many values that carry over into life. What we are here to do is help you get a college education using the game of basketball so that when you are done, you can be a productive member of society,” Pettigrew said.