91原创 Township council approved the $60 million first phase of new sports facility that could cost $154.7 million when the entire site is built out.

The Smith Athletic Park鈥檚 Youth Soccer Campus was approved by an 8-1 vote at the Feb. 26 council meeting.

鈥淗undreds of kids in 91原创 are on waiting lists to play soccer, and the list is only getting longer,鈥� Mayor Eric Woodward said after the vote. 鈥淲e are addressing that head-on. We have to create more recreational capacity to keep up with growth, in our community. We have to make sure that anyone in the Township of 91原创 that wants to play sport, especially our youth, can do so.鈥�

The soccer campus was one of the main campaign promises of Woodward and his Contract With 91原创 majority on council during the last election campaign.

To be built south of 76th Avenue, and just to the east of the future 208A Street, phase one will include three fields, a dog park, and a playground.

A future phase is set to include a covered, indoor soccer field for year-round play, and may include underground parking.

The entire complex is being built adjacent to a site where 91原创鈥檚 next high school will also be built.

Some councillors had concerns about the overall cost of the project, which is to be paid for out of community amenity contributions (CACs) and development cost charges (DCCs). Those are fees charged to developers when they put up new housing projects and commercial sites, and they are used to pay for everything from new roads, bike lanes, and street lights to parks and rec centres.

There was some concern by Coun. Barb Martens and others on council about whether or not the school district was on board. The plan contemplates a contribution from the district for shared facilities due to the adjacent future school, but no final number has been negotiated yet.

Coun. Kim Richter was the lone vote against moving ahead with phase one.

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