Soccer complex planned in northwest Springfield

A Springfield soccer complex is in the works this summer next to Deer Lake Golf Course.

The first phase of youth soccer organization Sporting Springfield's new home is slated to open to players in August, said Eric Sorlie, its executive director.

Sorlie said the development would give youth soccer players in the area a level-playing field for competing in the sport.

"We're now going to have an opportunity to give kids something that's on par with the rest of the state and the region," he said this morning. "We've been trying to train kids with two arms tied behind our backs."

Phase I calls on up to six Bermuda grass fields – a standard type of field for soccer – with lights. A news release indicates the fields will use the same grass as Sporting KC, of which Sporting Springfield is an affiliate.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, developer Rob Phillips is donating the land as part of a larger planned development with retail, restaurant and hotel amenities, Sorlie said. Additionally, philanthropist Bobby Allison is helping fund the project, Sorlie said, declining to project a total cost.

Phase II work is expected to start immediately after the first phase is complete, he said. The second phase calls on a 90,000- to 100,000-square-foot indoor sports facility and up to four turf fields.

Sorlie was unsure of the expected completion date for the full project. Rob Haik, founding principal of project architect H Design Group LLC, said a general contractor has not yet been selected.

The project is planned near the Chestnut Expressway and U.S. Highway 44 intersection. Phillips has served as a partner in the nearby Deer Lake Golf Course, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.