The City of Gainesville will soon have a new soccer field thanks to a partnership between Gainesville Parks and Recreation, the United Way of Hall County and the Salvation Army.
Kate Mattison, director of Gainesville Parks and Recreation, spoke on WDUN's Newsroom on Thursday and said the United Way applied for a $75,000 grant from the Georgia 100 Initiative on behalf of the city. The United Way received the funds, which will go toward a mini-pitch soccer field in Myrtle Street Park.
Aside from the $75,000 in grant funding, the United Way will contribute an additional $25,000 and Gainesville Parks and Recreation will provide about $50,000 in remaining costs.
The lighted court will feature a 60' by 90' artificial turf field, fenced soccer boxes and spectator seating.
Mattison told AccessWDUN mini-pitch fields are popular in Europe, and the field will help fill a hole in Gainesville's offerings for soccer players.
Mattison also spoke about various projects Gainesville Parks and Recreation has in the works, such as the J. Melvin Cooper Youth Sports Complex. You can listen to Mattison's full interview with AccessWDUN's Austin Eller at the above SoundCloud link.
