City of Steinbach gives green light to new soccer complex

City gives green light to new soccer complex

Construction on a new soccer complex in Steinbach will get underway this year. City council, at a special committee session Friday morning, unanimously agreed to proceed with the project as they committed up to $650,000 for the complex.

The complex is to be built west of L.A. Barkman Park, adjacent to Bush Farm Road, on a 42-acre site made available by the city last year.

A Steinbach soccer complex fund-raising committee, which was struck last summer, announced in March they had reached their goal of raising $150,000 for the project bringing $800,000 the total monies committed to the project to date.

The fund-raising group, which emanated from the Hanover Kickers Soccer Club, which overseas all soccer in the community, was hoping to have a complex that would have six or seven fields, but the city has committed to only building four fields at this time.

Access for the complex will come off of Highway #52 through the Southland Church parking lot.

This year a retention pond will be built to accommodate drainage from the site as well as construction of the four fields. The parking lot will be added next year. It is expected the fields will be ready for play in 2008. This would complete Phase One of the project.

Fund-raising chair Royden Loewen said although he is disappointed only four fields will be constructed at this time, "we're absolutely delighted the project is going to get underway." Hanover Kickers

Hanover Kickers chairman Norman Anderson concurred with Loewen, "After years of lobbying we are thrilled the city has come on board with us to go ahead with phase one.

The soccer group has three more phases in the plans for the future. Other phases may include a building that would include washrooms and change rooms, lighting and bleachers for one of the fields, and an enclosed year-round multi-use recreational facility.

Anderson added he is pleased the city has agreed to allow some of the work on the fields to be work in kind which will hopefully lower some of the costs.

Last year more than 500 registered soccer players used soccer pitches at five different locations in the city.