ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Roseville could see a major regional sports facility in the area break ground as early as next year, and here are five things to know about the complex so far.
Jill Geller is the Director of Parks, Recreation and Libraries for the city of Roseville.
"The complex will consist of 10 lighted, artificial turf fields as well as all the supporting amenities, which include restrooms, shade structures, concessions, and parking. We'll even have a large all-inclusive playground on the property that kids can play in whether they're visiting the soccer complex or not," Geller said.
Geller said besides soccer, other sports like flag football, rugby, field hockey and lacrosse could be played there.
1. How much will it cost?
The project is estimated to cost between $40-50 million and Geller said a bid for the project will go out in the fall.
"Because of construction costs right now, we just don't have a better answer for that, but once the bids come in we'll be able to more accurately answer the question about costs," Geller said.
Because the project is something the city has been looking toward for many years, funding was set aside over the years to tackle this kind of project, according to Geller.
"The project is funded through a combination of development impact fees and recent year-end General Fund surplus funds. Because it has been a vision for so long, fees have been collected over many years to help make today’s project a reality," Geller said.
Once the complex is constructed, a General Fund will be used for operations and maintenance with revenue offsets, according to city council documents.
2. Why artificial turf and not grass?
Geller said the city chose artificial turf because it can withstand heavy use and the fields can be played on even in the winter months.
"Weather was definitely a factor. We want these fields to be playable as much as possible,12 months a year, and so artificial turf seemed to be the right choice," Geller said.
Geller also said artificial turf doesn't require watering like grass.
"Technology on artificial fields has really improved as well, so the heat that comes from the infill of artificial turf has been a concern in the past, but new infill substances are really cooling the surface much more, so that's positive," Geller said.
3. How will traffic be impacted?
The city is planning to modify the northern and southern Westbrook Boulevard and Brookstone Drive intersections, according to a Transportation Impact Study.
"New traffic signals are being installed at the entrances to both parking lots into the complex on Westbrook Boulevard and a new traffic signal is being installed at the intersection of Westbrook Boulevard and Blue Oaks Boulevard," Geller said. "Turn lanes are being constructed on Westbrook — both left turn lanes and right turn lanes depending upon which direction you're going, at both parking lot entrances. So we really are making a lot of improvements to again ensure that traffic continues to move smoothly."
Sidewalks in front of the complex, along Westbrook Boulevard, would be constructed as well as a path for people through the middle of the complex, according to a Transportation Impact Study.
4. Will parking spill into neighborhoods?
Each of the 10 fields will have 95 parking spaces to account for crossover traffic, according to Geller.
"Over 950 off-street parking spaces would be provided on the project site, with 543 parking spaces provided in the northerly parking lot and 419 parking spaces provided in the southerly parking lot," Geller said.
According to a Transportation Impact Study, weekend tournament games would run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the city anticipates parking fees will be collected as part of tournament registration compared to collecting parking fees at the complex.
"This is important for two reasons. First, the lack of on-site parking payment would reduce the likelihood that people would park off-site to avoid parking costs. Second, the lack of on-site parking payment transactions would eliminate delays incurred to entering vehicles typically associated with cash, credit card, etc. payment transactions," the Transportation Impact Study reads.
During the week, the city anticipates up to five teams would have 1.5-hour practices from 3-10:30 p.m. With two teams using a field, about 100 teams would be able to practice a day, according to the city.
5. How does it boost the local economy?
The sports complex is set to be a huge boost to the economy in Roseville.
"It will draw visitors from throughout the region, and of course, they'll stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants, shop at our retailers, and visit the other entertainment venues here in Roseville, bringing literally millions of dollars into our economy every year," Geller said.
While there aren't currently plans for hotels and other amenities near the future site of the facility, Geller said she could see there being interest in building those sorts of amenities in the area.
"Our population is growing obviously, and youth sports are increasing in popularity, so I truly feel like this complex is addressing a need that we have here in our own city as well as attracting these regional events," Geller said.
View a larger version of the master plan for the complex HERE.
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