The bags were flying last Saturday — as dozens of cornhole enthusiasts took aim during a local tournament at the newly renamed Utica University Nexus Center in downtown Utica.

A host of youngsters, clad in soccer gear, patiently waited their turn on the turf while the sounds of skaters and errant pucks hitting the boards echoed from nearby.

In just a few short months, the Nexus Center — whose completion was delayed by the COVID-pandemic — is proving to be exactly what its proponents said it would be: A hub of activity and a boost to both the social and economic fabric of the downtown area.

Those proponents, including Rob Esche, president of the Mohawk Valley Garden and the Utica Comets’ AHL team, Oneida County Anthony J. Picente Jr. and Carl Annese, chair of the Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority, were steadfast in their support for the project, even when state funding and construction were delayed as the project wasn’t deemed an essential project when the pandemic put such construction statewide on hold.

Although the center’s soft opening in November 2022 and its official grand opening a few weeks later in December, were more than a year later than officials had hoped, their vision and goals appear to be right on time.

Picente first announced the plans for the Nexus Center on May 16, 2017, as part of his plan for the U-District. Along with UMVAA, the county has committed $32 million in bonding to fund Nexus, including an additional $15 million the county has contributed to the project which includes parking on the Whitesboro Street side of the facility. More parking will be available for Nexus and the Adirondack Bank Center in early 2024 when the county completes its $56 million parking garage next to the nearby MVHS Wynn Hospital.

“When we first announced the Nexus Center in 2017, I knew it would be a perfect fit for the U-District — the vision I had for a sports and entertainment district for downtown Utica. Together, with the investments the county made in the Adirondack Bank Center, the neighboring Nexus would form a powerhouse duo to draw hundreds of thousands of annual visitors and millions of dollars for our local businesses,” Picente said during the facility’s grand opening in December. “The road to get there wasn’t always easy, but Oneida County worked hard and made significant investments to make that vision a reality. Now, players and families are flocking to this magnificent facility and packing our hotels, restaurants and businesses.”

The 170,000 square-foot tournament-based sporting facility features three multipurpose 200-foot by 85-foot playing surfaces that can be utilized as ice sheets or turf. It is connected by a walkway to the neighboring Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, which brings the total up to four surfaces for sports tournaments.

While the Nexus Center will be primarily used for ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse and will draw competitive youth teams from across the U.S. and Canada, it is proving to be both flexible and open to a host of possibilities. The 1,200-seat venue includes luxury boxes overlooking the ice surface, as well as more than 20 locker rooms, state-of-the-art training space, a fitness track, food and beverage services, commercial office space and classrooms for Utica University’s Sports Management Program.

And, officials say, the plan is to look to go bigger and better.

“The good thing is, we had events planned before we opened, which added stress on the construction end of it, but when we opened, it’s been filled every weekend since we opened,” Esche recently said.

Officials say the Utica University Nexus Center will attract nearly 400,000 visitors annually. Already this year, Nexus is expanding into different events, like the Northeast Tattoo Expo, which is occurring in June, along with an antique clock expo and an engineering show. Officials have their eyes set on other events, from dog shows to music festivals, aiming to bring people from far and wide to the region’s hotels, shops and restaurants.

“When Oneida County committed $47 million to bring the Nexus Center to downtown Utica, we knew it was going to transform the region, and it has done just that,” Picente added recently, adding the community has already seen the uptick in visitors and economic activity. Likewise, he said, the partnership with Utica University is helping students in ways both practical and competitive.

As part of its recent naming rights agreement, the university also plans to host select large-scale gymnastics, wrestling, or e-sports competitions inside the new venue, further expanding the venue’s and Oneida County’s reach and reputation as a nationally recognized destination sports complex.

All this brings about perhaps the best of potential problems for officials — hoping there’s enough room in the schedule for cornhole.