The El Dorado Recreation Complex Board is looking ahead to 2021 with hopes of hosting soccer tournaments by fall.
Board members wrapped up their last regular monthly meeting of the year on Friday at the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado.
Part of the discussion focused on ongoing efforts to finish phase one of a major renovation and expansion project for the complex on Champagnolle Road.
The addition of two new youth soccer fields is one component in the first part of the two-phase master plan.
Soccer will help diversify and expand the viability of a sports complex that is dominated by baseball and softball.
Crews have finished work on several other phase-one projects, including the completion two existing youth baseball and softball fields and the addition two new youth fields on the south end of the complex and the installation of turf, lighting and fencing on four older fields on the north end of the facility.
The new soccer fields and new concessions and restroom facilities on the south end of the facility are the last two remaining projects of phase one, which is being covered by a $2.7 million budget from the El Dorado Works tax, which is earmarked for economic development, infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.
The El Dorado Advertising and Promotion Commission kicked in an additional $257,000 to help complete the soccer fields and expand the options for tournaments that can be hosted at the complex.
On Friday, Greg Harrison, chairman of the complex board, said crews are seeding the new soccer fields with ryegrass and they will return in the spring with an application of Bermuda grass.
“That gives us a whole growing season,” Harrison said.
David Lee, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, agreed, saying, “That’ll give it time to let that root system grow upon it and take hold. The fences are all up, they’ve put up the gates. It’s looking good out there.”
The BGCE manages the complex, per a $40,000 contract for services that is administered by the city of El Dorado and split pro-rata by the city and Union County.
“We hope to be playing soccer games and football on that in the fall,” Lee said.
Plus, he added, the growing season will allow him enough time to research and develop contacts to attract soccer tournaments to the complex and to promote the facility as a place for soccer.
The topic of soccer also cropped up during a brief discussion about phase two of the master plan: a baseball field to serve older teens and adults and parking lot improvements and expansion.
Harrison and board member Phillip Lansdell, who is also the athletic director for the El Dorado School District, said they have been in discussions about plans by South Arkansas Community College to launch baseball and softball programs next year, with intentions of using the new baseball field that is being proposed for the complex — at least in the early stages of the program.
Building another baseball field for older teen and adult players would open up doors for more tournaments, as will the new soccer fields, said Harrison.
Lansdell said the El Dorado School District does not have enough soccer fields to host a state tournament and accommodate more than 30 teams, adding that at least four soccer fields are needed to be eligible to host state tournaments.
With the district’s two existing soccer fields just north of the Union County Fairgrounds, complex board members said the new fields at the complex and Memorial Stadium could help the school district land state tournaments in the near future.
Board members also discussed plans for new concession and restroom facilities to serve all of the fields that are now on the south end of the complex.
Complex board member Keith Smith previously said he would check into costs for two kiosks to use as concession stands.
Board members previously discussed similar structures that are used by Murphy USA at many of its gasoline locations.
On Friday, Smith said he has not yet had the opportunity to look further into the matter and Harrison said he had spoken with Robert Edmonds, director of public works for the city of El Dorado, about possibly reaching out to MUSA to learn more.
“Maybe they would want to work with us on something like that,” Harrison said.
Conceptual designs for phase one initially called for a concessions plaza, complete with restrooms, office space and an umpire/coaches’ lounge.
Several weeks ago, board members considered kiosks as an alternative, not only to help save costs but also to address issues with location and space for a concessions plaza on the south side of the complex.
There was a suggestion Friday to possibly prepare food in the existing concession stand on the north end of the complex and transport the food to kiosks on the south end of the facility.
“That’s a bad idea,” Nale said, shaking his head.
Board members have also said restrooms could be built separately from the concessions facility.
Harrison said he spoke with Edmonds about the matter and Edmonds agreed that additional restrooms are needed in the area to augment existing restroom facilities that are adjacent to the Dumas Pavillion.
The existing building contains separate men and women’s restrooms with four stalls each.