Indoor sports need big, open space with room overhead, and a metal building is one of the most practical ways to get it. O’Neil Metal Buildings & Barndominiums designs and builds indoor sports facilities and metal gym buildings for schools, churches, clubs, training businesses, and private owners across Illinois, Missouri, and the St. Louis region. We are based in Belleville, IL, serve a roughly 200-mile area, and have been building for 50 years.
Facilities We Build
- Gymnasiums for basketball and volleyball
- Multi-sport courts for pickleball, volleyball, and basketball under one roof
- Turf buildings for baseball, softball, soccer, and football training
- Batting cage and pitching buildings
- Private training centers and fitness buildings
- Home gyms and personal courts on residential property
- Church family life centers and community recreation buildings
Turnkey Design-Build for Sports Buildings
With O’Neil’s turnkey design-build service, one team:
- Designs the facility around your sports, programs, and site
- Provides engineering and stamped drawings as required
- Handles all permitting
- Builds it, including concrete, framing, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work when needed
Read more about our process.
Clear Height Matters as Much as Floor Area
For sports buildings, clear height is often the make-or-break number. It is measured to the lowest obstruction, like framing, lights, or ductwork, not just to the eave. Volleyball, basketball, and batting all need room overhead. During design, we look at:
- Playing surface size plus safe run-off around each court or field
- Clear height for the highest-reaching sport you plan to host
- Clear span so no columns sit on the court or turf
- Spectator seating, restrooms, locker rooms, and storage
- Lighting, insulation, heating, and ventilation for year-round comfort
- Big doors for equipment, deliveries, and turf maintenance
It is much easier to plan the right height up front than to change it after the building is up.
Steel and Post Frame Options
Wide, tall sports buildings are a natural fit for pre-engineered metal buildings, which deliver large clear spans with no interior columns. Smaller training buildings, batting cages, and private courts can also work well in post frame. We will recommend the system that fits your size, height, and budget. See our metal buildings and commercial buildings pages for more.
Options and Finishes
- Insulated walls and roof for comfort and energy use
- Lobbies, offices, concessions, and viewing areas
- Locker rooms and restrooms (MEP handled by O’Neil when needed)
- Roll-up doors and walk doors
- Windows and translucent panels for natural light
- Exterior colors, wainscot, and trim from our materials and finishes
Our metal panels carry a lifetime paint warranty.
Sports Buildings by O’Neil
Our sports and training projects include:
- The Field House, a baseball training facility in St. Jacob, IL
- The Gateway Grizzlies training building in Sauget, IL, built for the Frontier League baseball team. Our project gallery shows this 44′ x 80′ x 14′ pole building
Planning a Sports Business?
If you are opening a training facility or rental courts, the building has to fit your business plan. We can help you think through court count, future expansion, parking, and how the space will be used across seasons. If leasing is a better fit for your business, ask about our commercial flex space.
Material Kits for Smaller Projects
For private courts, batting cages, and smaller training buildings, O’Neil also sells material kits with framing lumber, columns, trusses, metal, and windows and doors, with insulation and interior stud framing as options. Kits include detailed construction drawings. These are construction drawings, not structural or engineered drawings. Kits deliver across our service area and to Chicagoland. See our steel and lumber supply.
Serving Illinois, Missouri, and St. Louis
We build sports and recreation buildings in St. Louis, the Metro East, Southern and Central Illinois, and Eastern Missouri. See our pages for metal buildings in Illinois and metal buildings in Missouri, plus financing options.
Start Planning Your Facility
Tell us what sports you want to host and how many people you expect, and we will help you plan the building. Call O’Neil Metal Buildings & Barndominiums at (618) 337-6100 or request a free quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of indoor sports facilities do you build?
O’Neil builds gymnasiums, multi-sport courts, turf training buildings, batting cages, private training centers, home gyms, and church family life centers.
How tall should a metal gym building be?
It depends on the sports you plan to host. Clear height is measured to the lowest obstruction, such as framing or lights, and volleyball and basketball need generous room overhead. We set clear height during design based on your sports.
Are metal buildings good for gyms?
Yes. Pre-engineered metal buildings provide wide clear spans with no interior columns, which is ideal for courts and turf. Smaller buildings can also work in post frame.
Do you handle engineering, permits, and MEP?
Yes. Our turnkey service includes design, engineering and stamped drawings as required, all permitting, and construction, including MEP when needed.
Can I buy a kit for a private court or batting cage?
Yes. Material kits include detailed construction drawings, which are not structural or engineered drawings, and can include insulation and interior stud framing as options.
What area do you serve?
O’Neil is based in Belleville, IL and builds within roughly 200 miles, including St. Louis, the Metro East, Illinois, and Missouri. Kits also deliver to Chicagoland.