Pocono Dome to reopen Monday

By Tom DeSchriver

The Pocono Dome is back in business.

The Sciota-based sports/fitness facility, which closed a month ago, will reopen Monday under new management.

Pocono Dome Sports Complex, a new entity run by local businessman and soccer enthusiast Hisham Sobhy, has worked out a financial agreement with Wayne Bank to take over the facility. Sobhy said Friday the complex will reopen Monday with plans to operate through early April.

Sobhy said the winter season will be a test if the community can sustain the facility financially so it can continue to operate after this winter.

"It will be upon us as community members to use the facility and contribute in making it a successful business," said Sobhy, who has been involved with youth soccer locally, in particular Keystone Athletic, for more than a decade. "We feel that the time is now to support the facility to prevent a future setback or closure."

Sobhy is the president of the board of directors for Keystone Athletic, which has used the facility over the years.

"When I heard the dome was closed, I was very concerned on the negative impact that it will have on our local sports community," Sobhy said.

Sobhy said he contacted Wayne Bank, which had loaned the original owner of the dome, Gregory Bush, $2,881,875 in March 2011 to build the dome. It opened in January 2013.

Wayne Bank took over the dome in May 2016 when Bush, and two associated companies, Sciota Enterprises, LLC, and Pocono Dome, LLC, failed to make payments. With interest, late fees and attorney fees, Bush and Sciota Enterprises, LLC, owned $2,987,456 when Wayne Bank took ownership last spring.

Sobhy said that Gregory Bush and his wife, Sally Bush, will help run the facility this winter.

Among the dome's features are a turf field, dividable with electric nets that can accommodate two baseball diamonds or one full field for soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey, softball, volleyball, tennis and pickle ball.

There’s also a one-sixth-mile perimeter track, a full service gym, fitness classroom, dance floor, martial arts, yoga center, locker rooms, café, performance training wing, three baseball tunnel wings, conference and party rooms and a sports rehabilitation and medical wing.

The dome can be seen from Route 33 in Hamilton Township.

"I remember many years ago before the dome opened in our community we used to drive our children and players for many miles in the snowy winter days and nights to give them an opportunity to train and play the game they love," Sobhy said. "I hope that our efforts to reopen the dome will have a positive impact on youth development this winter and hopefully for many years to come."

Sobhy said he hopes to operate the dome, and its programs, as close as possible to the programs offered last winter.

Story and Photo from the Pocono Record