A progress update revealed new details about a West Enid soccer complex — including what the finished facility will look like, its amenities and a feature not previously discussed.
While speaking at the Enid Rotary Club luncheon Monday, May 6, 2019, Jessica Nelson, director of Enid Sports Association in charge of the project, said the complex will have a centrally located 4,000-square-foot clubhouse, a planned feature not previously made public.
All told, the soccer complex will cost about $10 million, she said. So far $6 million — a combination of private donations and funding from the city of Enid — has been made available.
One field will be equipped with artificial turf and a scoreboard, she said. ESA is working on launching a fundraising campaign to cover the rest of the money needed, she said.
“Part of our capital campaign that we will be launching is to fund a clubhouse and to make this championship field feel a little more champion-like,” she said.
The clubhouse will have locker rooms for use by Enid High School, as well as Northern Oklahoma College, she said. It also will house a referee lounge, public restrooms and a concessions area.
Nelson discussed some features that will make the complex unique compared to similar facilities.
Sidewalks, 10 feet wide, will be placed in between the fields, she said, adding that the paths will be the same size as the Enid trail system.
“We’re going beyond soccer. We’re trying to make this a park,” she said. “We want to create a family friendly environment for anybody that comes, whether they play soccer or they don’t.”
The parking layout will be different from many other complexes, she said. Instead of one or more large lots placed nearby, parking spaces will be wrapped around the fields, allowing players and visitors to park directly in front of the field where they need go.
The estimated completion time for the soccer complex is spring 2021, Nelson said.
Story provided by Enid News & Eagle
Written by: Mitchell Willetts