Construction on the new Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex started in April 2017 and has received substantial completion as of February 2018.
St. Louis County contracted with PARIC Corporation for the design-build project, which is being funded by the Convention & Visitors Commission. The complex will be home to 13 artificial turf fields, including a standalone championship field with permanent seating for up to 500 spectators and two smaller, youth-sized natural grass fields.
In addition to the fields, the complex will afford visitors ample concessions, restrooms and lighted parking areas throughout. PARIC worked in conjunction with Aschinger Electric in January 2018 to install 28 light posts on the fields via helicopter. The steel 70’ poles are buried 19’ in the ground and carry a whopping 1500 watts each.
Mitch Bohnak, the tournament coordinator for the Scott Gallagher Soccer Club, says the county may be underestimating the potential draw of the facility.
“St. Louis has been waiting for this announcement for a long time,” Bohnak said. “A state-of-the-art turf complex in the middle of America could attract players from all over the country and maybe all over the world.”
The facility is expected to host 21 regional tournaments each year. According to the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission the projects estimated budget reached $14 million. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger emphasized that none of the cost will fall on county taxpayers.
A county analysis foresees the competitions drawing 130,000 out-of-town players and their families to the region. The visitors, according to projections, will spend a cumulative 39,000 nights in area hotels.