Akron City Council will receive a request
from Mayor Don Plusquellic at its next meeting, Monday, April 7, 2003, proposing the
construction of eight soccer fields, a pavilion, concession stand and parking on a 38-acre
site on White Pond Drive at Copley Road. This will become the largest soccer complex in
the city of Akron. Mayor Don Plusquellic said today, "The demand for soccer
facilities is strong in our community. I am pleased we have been able to make this project
a reality, especially for the young people in our community who are so enthusiastic about
the game."
During design, the City of Akron consulted with the local and regional soccer
organizations, the Greater Akron Area Soccer Association (GAASA) and Ohio Youth Soccer
Association North (OYSAN) to determine field sizes and orientation. Design work is being
done by UAE, Unified Architectural and Engineering in Akron. The City’s estimated
cost of the project is $3.2 million.
"This gives Akron a fantastic opportunity to again do what people have asked of
us," said Ward 4 Councilwoman Renee L. Greene. "In this case, we are providing
recreation for our children that is healthy, structured and supervised. This is an
important addition to this part of our community."
Bob Keith, councilman for Ward 8 says Akron, especially the West side, has been waiting
for this for a long time, saying, "Kids and parents are really excited about this. It
is long overdue for the 600 or so young people in West Akron who---up until
now---haven’t had a level field on which to play, and for the nearly 4,000 in greater
Akron who are always jockeying to find a field."
Included at the site:
- 8 fields – 3 NCAA tournament size
- 3 high school size
- 2 junior size
- Concession Building
- Picnic Pavilion
- Tot play ground
- A paved parking lot including over 500 spaces
- Future connection to Towpath Trail
Construction will start this summer, and the fields will be available for play by fall
next year.
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