JANUARY 2009

January 29, 2009

Harold Patterson Sports Center and The Village at Sports Center
Combine to offer Arlington a Unique Athletic Experience

It’s hard not to notice the giant stadium being built in Arlington for “America’s Team.” But venture south along Cooper Street, down past I-20, and you’ll come across another construction project that has the potential to provide an even greater impact on Arlington residents.

With 27 soccer fields, six football fields, 12 youth baseball fields, and six softball fields, which can accommodate more than 700,000 visitors annually, the Harold Patterson Sports Center is one of the most popular regional athletic complexes in the southern United States. Its location, along one of the busiest commercial corridors in the metroplex has allowed city leaders to provide sports center users with high quality complementary services.

“The City of Arlington realized that it could take advantage of this uniquely valuable development and enhance the sports center with complementary retail venues and outdoor seating plazas,” said Matt Young, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation. “Besides creating a truly distinctive venue, the project will not only generate revenues to fund capital improvements at the sports center, but it will help provide economic development for the City.”

The initial step to make this dream a reality was to solicit proposals to develop, design, construct, market, manage and finance a commercial retail center on sports center property adjacent to Cooper Street. The Oakhollow Group was selected as the finalist to purchase and develop the 7-acre site. This $22M development, The Village at Sports Center, will include 100,000 sq ft of retail/office space that will support sporting events happening at the park.

The Oakhollow Group’s proposal was chosen by the evaluation committee due to their strong site plan with a heavy emphasis on pedestrian connections, a large amount of amenities such as pavers, patios, shade and fountains, varying building facades as well as minimal parking between the retail development and the soccer fields. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 8, 2008, with construction beginning the following week. The project is progressing on schedule with an anticipated completion in November 2009.

With 2005 park bond program providing funding to renovate parking lots at Harold Patterson, coupled with the proceeds from the sale of park land for the retail development, staff decided that a new master plan for the sports center was needed to provide a plan for redevelopment of the 30-year old complex. The drive for the master plan included addressing infrastructure needs, introducing play and civic spaces, showcasing the complex as a regional destination and helping with citywide economic development initiatives.

With a new master plan approved in August 2007 and additional funding approved in the 2008 park bond program, the first phase of re-development is scheduled to begin in March 2009. The project will include re-construction of soccer fields and parking lots closest to the new Village at Sports Center, creating the planned pedestrian connection with the retail development. The new fields will include lighting for the first time, and provide user groups with the ability to program leagues and tournaments in numerous configurations to optimize space and maintain quality playing fields by rotating play.

For more information about the Harold Patterson Sports Center, contact Matt Young at 817-459-5486 or matt.young@arlingtontx.gov.