Construction equipment is seen Monday at the site of the soccer complex being built at the intersection of the U. S. 58 Bypass and Irisburg Road.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

By KIM BARTO - Bulletin Staff Writer

Construction on the Smith River Sports Complex is proceeding on schedule, the head of the Southern Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority said Tuesday.

Currently, the concession building roof is being installed, and work is continuing on a sidewalk and parking lot, said Executive Director Dennis Toney.

“There are a lot of things going on right now,” Toney said. “The rain hasn’t slowed them down.”

The estimated $8.7 million complex being built near the U.S. 58 Bypass/Irisburg Road intersection is expected to be finished by June 2009. It is meant to host soccer games but will be able to convert for hosting other sports and competitions.

The Harvest Foundation is funding the project, and the recreation facilities authority will own and operate the complex once it is completed.

The complex will include two lighted championship synthetic turf soccer fields, three full-sized lighted fields, a practice field, playground, two picnic shelters, walking trails, canoe access along Smith River, sidewalks, concession building and a pavilion building with office and meeting space.

So far, the field grading is “probably 99 percent finished,” Toney said.

He added he hopes the parking lot will be done in the next month to month and a half.

Light towers are up and “hopefully in the next 30 days, the light towers will be electrified, and we’ll be able to turn them on by mid- to late October,” Toney said.

Next steps include installing fencing, which could start “any time now,” and working on installation of the grass. Plans call for natural turf on most of the fields, and synthetic grass planned for the two championship fields could start being installed in the next 30 days.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated the safety of artificial turf because of concerns about lead in turf manufactured and installed at least 15 to 20 years ago. The commission released a study in late July saying artificial turf manufactured today poses no health hazards, Toney said.

Both real and artificial turf will have to be installed before the weather gets too cold, he said.

Toney said he anticipates the buildings will be done by Dec. 15. Work remaining in the spring would be mostly landscaping and planting trees and shrubs. The last step will be building an access road from Irisburg Road.