City of Lincoln authorizes $4.5 million for new youth sports complex

13 hours back

Veronica Barreto,

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) - - Lincoln is getting closer to having a new sports complex for young people.

The City Council on Monday offered last approval to consume to $4.5 million in federal COVID-19 help for the task.

The Lincoln Youth Complex will be constructed on the southeast side of North First Street and Cornhusker Highway, north of Oak Lake Park..

" It's something that we do not have; a great deal of communities around us have these kinds of centers. I believe it's going to draw people to the city of Lincoln through the Midwest," stated Dwight Merilatt, athletic director for Nebraska Wesleyan University and member of the complex's board.

The 2015 Visioning Group is the nonprofit behind the operation of the Lincoln Youth Complex.

It is the exact same nonprofit that established the Pinnacle Bank Arena..

Developers say the project will assist Lincoln move on and draw in and retain families..

" It's going to be a game changer for Lincoln in relates to of the economic advancement it's going to bring to the neighborhood," Merilatt said.

SEE ALSO: Former Husker baseball coach talks brand-new Lincoln youth sports complex.

The complex will also be home to Nebraska Wesleyan's baseball and softball programs..

Merilatt states it will be one of the best sports facilities in our area.

" It's going to be one of the very best baseball and softball centers in the nation for us," he stated. "It's simply going to be another way that Lincoln can show its point of pride throughout the Midwest.".

Wesleyan will also develop a program to work with underserved young people in Lincoln..

The complex will house 2 champion fields, five youth fields and an additional field for Homer's Heroes, a special-needs baseball program.

The brand-new complex will cost $27 million, with funds originating from the personal and public sector..

Construction is set to begin this spring, with conclusion set up for late fall 2024.

Classifications: Lancaster, News, Sports, Top Stories.

Tags: City of Lincoln, downtown Lincoln, Haymarket, Lancaster County, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln city board, Lincoln advancement, lincoln youth complex, Lincoln youth sports complex, Nebraskan Wesleyan University, oak lake park, Sports Complex, youth sports complex.

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