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There will be several more turf sports fields in the Omaha area starting this fall.
La Vista officials and project organizers say the new Nebraska Multisport Complex in the Omaha suburb will not only serve the area’s children but also fuel economic development.
The all-turf and lighted fields will sit just off the interstate in La Vista and will serve soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football and rugby when operational. In all, the new complex will contain 12 fields and will be completed by spring of 2023.
"It’s an extremely exciting day for the city of La Vista," La Vista Mayor Doug Kinding said a Friday press conference.
Kinding said the area's youth will avoid some travel for regional soccer tournaments, and the new fields will also serve the community well. One day, the Nebraska Multisport Complex's organizers hope to host large youth tournaments.
"It is going to drive that out of town business. It will fill our hotels. It will fill our restaurants," the mayor said. "It will become a regional attraction – if not a statewide attraction."
Getting to this point hasn’t been easy, as this project began all the way back in 2011. The complex was originally slated for Omaha, but Mayor JeanStothert and project backers couldn’t come to a consensus on how much the city should contribute.
Those backers eventually picked La Vista in 2015 over Council Bluffs, and they broke ground back in 2016. The project had since stalled until the La Vista City Council approved zoning changes last month for the complex.
"It's been a long process," said Mike Cassling, the chairman of complex's board of directors. "There's been a few road bumps – and painful at times. But the need is huge for the city and the state. We just don't have the sports complexes like they do in Kansas City, Des Moines, even Sioux Falls. So this is truly a game changer for our kids and adults."
The complex is expected to have an annual economic impact of $9.9 million, according to organizers. The fields are also expected to draw more than 32,000 overnight visitors per year.