STAFF REPORT
A $700,000 sports complex opened last week almost 20 years after it was originally planned.
The complex, located at Gregg-Clarke Park on Center Street, will allow youth and adult sporting events such as baseball, softball, kickball, flag-football, lacrosse, rugby, and any other sport played on a field of 120 x 120 yards, officials say.
A non-glare and computer programmable state-of-the-art lighting system also surrounds the complex.
In 1991, planning began on the complex and more than 15 years later voters approved a Hays County Parks and Open Spaces Grant in 2007 to help fund the project.
On Thursday, Mayor Lucy Johnson and Hays County Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jones threw out the ceremonial first pitch while the Kyle Adult Kickball League christened the new fields.
“I know Kyle residents, along with residents in Hays County, are going to enjoy this wonderful facility for years to come,” Johnson said. “Our parks programs are a key component to providing quality of life-type activities for people of all ages in our community. Having quality facilities like this one really adds to that aspect of our city.”
Originally designed to be a single baseball field, the project grew as the city’s population boomed from around 2,000 residents in 1991 to roughly 30,000 this year. The concept was redrawn multiple times until the current four-field complex was settled on.
In addition to the multi-use fields, a 1/3-mile trail lined with crushed granite circles the area, which can be utilized by walkers, joggers, dog-walkers and others.
“When we started playing youth softball league games on the one field by the post office in the 1990s, we had the vision of a complex to bring more leagues, more teams and more players to Kyle,” Parks and Recreation Director Kerry Urbanowicz said. “With this unique alignment of fields we will now be able to expand our vision to include all sports played on fields.”
The complex also includes restroom facilities and a future concession building.
