Work continues developing plans for a remodeled Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Architectural renderings of some possible designs should be finished by early next year.
Tim Dillon is helping head up the group working on fundraising for the project. He told the Soldotna city council last week getting design options finished is a key step toward raising money.
“We will have 95% drawings by the middle of January. Once we get that part taken care of, we should be able to be a little more public about the capital campaign and where we’re going. Whenever you’re talking in the preliminary stages (and) you’re asking people to write checks, they want to see something concrete. I think we’re getting there.”
The remodeled complex is slated to offer more year-round indoor uses than currently available. Most notably, a turf field for soccer, but everything would be designed for multi-sport flexibility.
“The floor would be such that not only could you play soccer, you could separate things out. You could have wrestling meets there, you could have volleyball matches. You could have several different types of events going on at the same time.”
The city set aside $3 million earlier this year to be used as matching funds for the remodel and expansion. The new field house is the main goal. The committee working on the project estimates a cost range of $7-$11 million. As more is raised, more options become available, like an elevated track and new bathrooms and other amenities.
The committee plans to make another presentation to the council in the first quarter of next year.