PROJECT SUMMARY
Livingston Youth Soccer Association (LYSA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community organization providing youth in the Livingston area with the opportunity to learn and enjoy the sport of soccer. Over the last 24 years, LYSA has expanded its programs to accommodate the increasing number of youth who want to play soccer; however the lack of open park space to accommodate fields has been an ongoing challenge. Without addressing the critical shortage community park space, which can accommodate soccer fields, the future of youth soccer in the Livingston area will be jeopardized. These circumstances have led LYSA to undertake a collaborative project with the City of Livingston to develop a 19-acre city park that will include a full range of park amenities, four full-sized soccer fields, a support building, and three parking areas.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1. Create a beautiful green space in a city park setting where community members of all ages and abilities can relax, enjoy nature, and recreate in a variety of ways.
2. Construct safe and well-designed field space for soccer practices and games to address the critical shortage of soccer fields in the Livingston area and to foster the growing interest in youth soccer.
PROJECT NEED
Public recreational space is a valuable component for community development and vitality; however, it is becoming a scarce commodity. This project will transform a weed infested, unproductive parcel into a premier public recreation area in a beautiful green space with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains and Yellowstone River. The park is located close to several of the trails, bike paths, and pathways identified in the Livingston – Park County Trails Plan released in 2007. The residential area adjacent to this new park is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods of town.
Currently, Livingston has only one full-sized soccer field in Sacajawea Park. This field is rapidly becoming unsafe due to years of continuous soccer play on the same turf. This single soccer field does not provide adequate space for practice and games for the over 600 youth who play soccer in this area. Limited field space at the high school is also problematic. Both girls and boys Varsity and Junior Varsity teams conduct practices on baseball fields and play games on the school’s football field, all of which have poorly designed playing surfaces for soccer. Unless this issue is addressed, all youth soccer activities are at risk.
PROJECT DESIGN AND FUNDING
The City of Livingston has authorized LYSA to undertake the construction of the Northside Park and Soccer Fields on a 19-acre parcel of city property. The park was designed by a landscape architecture firm in Billings with extensive experience developing outdoor sports complexes In Montana. A detailed construction plan with an associated line-item budget for the entire project was completed in February 2007. The Northside Park and Soccer Fields project will result in a park complex that includes open green space, walking paths, picnic tables, benches, trees, and restrooms. It will contain four regulation-sized soccer fields and a support building that will house concessions, restrooms, multipurpose rooms, and storage of maintenance equipment. The site is accessible from four streets and will contain three separate parking areas to accommodate more than 140 vehicles.
LYSA is responsible for securing funding and donated services to complete this project in 2011. It is anticipated that the entire project will cost $2.6 million, which includes projected inflation costs and fundraising expenses. A fundraising campaign has been initiated to secure funds from individuals, businesses, foundations, grants, and special events.
PROJECT BENEFITS
The versatility and amenities of this park will add great value and beauty to our community. Because of the park’s location near the existing and planned trails system, the park will become a major hub for recreational activities in Livingston. Families and friends will have a gathering place to enjoy picnicking, relaxation, and a variety of recreational activities and soccer players of all ages will have safe and well-designed fields for soccer practice and games. And, the addition of the four soccer fields will enable Livingston to host soccer camps, coaching clinics, and specialty tournaments, which will benefit the local economy.