University Of Arkansas Plans More Ball Fields In South Fayetteville

Intramural Facilities Will Be Up The Street From City’s Regional Park...

STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE Austin Culp catches a disc during practice Thursday in Fayetteville.

STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE Austin Culp catches a disc during practice Thursday in Fayetteville.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

FAYETTEVILLE -- South Fayetteville will have an abundance of ball fields when the University of Arkansas builds intramural facilities up the street from a planned regional park.

The university's board last month approved buying 51 acres south of the Cato Springs Research Center, east of Razorback Road and north of the Fulbright Expressway -- about 1.5 miles northeast of the regional park site.

At A Glance (w/logo)

Land Buy

The University of Arkansas’ board last month approved buying 51 acres in south Fayetteville for intramural fields. Reserve will pay $2.61 million for the five parcels from:

• Marvin and Doris Treat: 8.3 acres ($480,000)

• Martin Treat: 10.3 acres ($400,000)

• MG & BJ Price Family, Jo Ellen Fenter and Brenda S. Smolen Revocable Trust: 10 acres ($360,000)

• Arvest Bank: 12.4 acres ($425,000)

• Joyce M. Ogden Family Trust: 10.2 acres ($945,000)

Total: 51.2 acres ($2.61 million)

Source: University of Arkansas

Jeremy Battjes, University Recreation director, said the fields will fill a longstanding need. Anywhere from 5,500 to 7,000 students sign up for intramural and club sports each year, Battjes said.

Thirty club teams play soccer, lacrosse, cricket and quidditch -- to name a few. The teams are self-administered and often feature former high school athletes who want to stay active.

The university also runs dozens of intramural leagues. They include basketball, flag football, softball and dodgeball.

There's one field available for club sports on campus. Three others west of Razorback Road are used for intramural sports most of the time. Battjes said multiple club teams often share the field at the same time, and it's not uncommon to see activities going on until late in the night.

"We have students playing intramural sports until midnight, 1 in the morning," Battjes said. "That doesn't create a very good academic environment."

For Ryan Ellison, president of the University of Arkansas men's rugby team, it has been a struggle to find a place to practice.

Ellison said the rugby team can only get on the practice field twice a week, making it difficult to keep up with other schools that feature scholarship athletes and have better facilities.

"We're trying to keep up with our counterparts in the SEC," Battjes said.

The new intramural fields in south Fayetteville haven't been designed yet, but Battjes said he hopes to add eight multi-use fields for rugby, lacrosse, soccer and ultimate Frisbee. A four-field softball complex is planned along with basketball and sand volleyball courts. University officials also plan to add new tennis courts, but a location hasn't been determined.

Battjes said the intramural fields will mainly be for university students but could be rented to the public as scheduling allows.

No construction timeline has been set.

According to Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities, the on-campus athletic fields on the west side of Razorback Road will stay.

University officials plan to convert the Lewis Soccer Complex, near Asbell Elementary School on North Sang Avenue, into four fields for club sports. The university has leased the Lewis complex to the city for youth soccer for years, but the lease is up in June 2018.

That's factoring into the city's push to get started on the regional park. The first phase includes eight soccer fields and at least three baseball diamonds, along with streets, parking and associated infrastructure. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.

More baseball and softball diamonds, basketball hoops, sand volleyball courts, a "splash pad" and small amphitheater are planned in subsequent phases.

When pitching the regional park to voters in a November bond election, city Parks and Recreation staff estimated the park, once complete, has potential to bring three baseball tournaments, two soccer tournaments and one softball tournament to town each year.

Battjes said he has similar aspirations. The university had to schedule a regional club soccer tournament in Bentonville, for example, because there weren't enough fields in one spot in Fayetteville.

"This type of project helps us keep those types of events here in Fayetteville and on or near our campus," Battjes said.

For those in the local tourism industry, sports tournaments are big business.

The Arkansas Recreation and Parks Association estimates each overnight visitor spends about $250 per day on lodging, food, gasoline and other purchases.

Using that figure, the Parks and Recreation Department estimates six sports tournaments with between 15 and 35 teams could bring about $1.5 million in new spending annually to the city.

The new site for the intramural fields wasn't the first choice among residents who advocated for preserving Mount Kessler. They wanted the university to buy land adjacent to the city's regional park site.

Instead, the city is buying land on the other side of the park, and Chambers Bank will retain about 200 acres where advocates wanted the intramural fields. Bank officials are marketing the land for commercial and residential building.

Johnson said the land next to the regional park is too hilly.

"Mount Kessler for us is a mountain," he said. "What we needed were areas we could level out and create playing fields." The site needed to be along a bus route and in an area where outdoor lighting could be added, he added.

Frank Sharp, who led the charge to preserve Mount Kessler, said this week he was OK with the university's decision.

They carefully studied the site, Sharp said, and determined "it was not the most economical thing for them to do."

Sharp said Chambers Bank should have an easier time selling land it owns once the regional park is built.

Other Northwest Arkansas cities have invested in recreational fields.

Rogers opened Regional Sports Park in January 2013. The annual Snowball Classic softball tournament was played on the six fields the following weekend.

Springdale plans to add up to 195 acres of park land in the southeast and northwest corners of town. The two parks will include baseball, softball and soccer fields.

Bentonville's Memorial Park has hosted the Cal Ripken World Series, Pitch for the Cure and state USSSA tournaments. Memorial Park features nine softball diamonds, 11 soccer fields, 12 tennis courts.

NW News on 03/02/2014