DECATUR — The Decatur City Council revisited its plan for a new soccer complex during the June 21 meeting in the conference room at city hall.
During the May 10 council meeting, Bob Tharp, Decatur mayor, unveiled a plan to build a soccer complex on city property near well Number 5 on Grant Ave. The council gave Tharp the go ahead to begin work on the project.
After reviewing the accessibility of the property to the public, city officials decided to move the project back to Veterans Park, the site of the original plan.
The original site for the Veterans Park Soccer complex was planned for the field between McCollum Park and Charlie St., west of the barbecue pits. Building on this site would require leveling the property and moving dirt. This was the sole reasoning behind the move to Grant Ave.
Tharp said he reviewed additional sites at Veterans Park before choosing. The city devised a plan to build the soccer complex on top of the hill between the Edmiston baseball field and Arkansas Highway 102. This land is flatter and would involve less earth work to level it out.
Tharp asked the city's engineering firm, Engineering Services, Inc., to revise the plans to reflect this change. After careful review, the council approved the new plans, which gives the green light for construction of the project.
Since the city already earmarked $35,000 for the project, construction is slated to begin in late August.
The city is applying for another $150,000 from the New and Blue Foundation for the Veterans Park project.
Cassie Elliot, the city's grant writer, is working on an additional grant to fund the completion of the soccer field and add a walking trail along the perimeter of the park.
In 2015, Elliot applied for a $150,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield's New and Blue Foundation for the original Veterans Park project. The foundation denied the grant request but urged the city to reapply in July, 2016.
Elliot is asking for help from Decatur residents in writing emails in support of the project. The deadline for filing the grant request is July 5. Send your emails to Cassie Elliot at [email protected].
Once the project is complete, the soccer complex will be available for the Decatur youth soccer program and Decatur High School to host games and tournaments and is expected to bring additional revenue to local business.
For more information, call 479-752-3912.
General News on 07/06/2016