New drawings of the new Moray Sports Centre were unveiled to the public for the first time yesterday.
The project will include a sports hall, gym and cafe, but has the potential to expand to include football pitches and running track.
If the entire development is built, it could cost up to £14million.
Yesterday, visitors at the exhibition flocked to get a look at the plans, and were keen to see what was on offer for their clubs.
Archer Mike Alexander from Elgin said: “I’m interested to see what indoor facilities will be. You don’t really need a lot of facilities for archery.”
Melanie Newbould, from the Elgin roller derby team, said: “At the moment we don’t have a venue big enough for bouts. At the moment we train at the community centres in Elgin and Forres so would like to see something new.”
Chief executive Kathryn Evans believes the facility has the potential to attract international sport to Elgin for the first time.
She said: “The sports hall will have space for 500 seats so that opens it up to things like university graduations and sports events like netball and basketball.
“It could host some elite teams but also national teams, which has never come to the area before.
“It could also attract people from Aberdeen and Inverness to meet in Moray so they don’t have to travel 100 miles.”
The first phase of the project is the main building, which will cost £7million and could be open in early 2018.
Springfield Properties is match-funding the priority project, and if more money is sourced then extra facilities will be added.
