The ribbon cutting for the Lakeland Athletic Complex, which is located at 9661 Memphis-Arlington Rd, is today. The event will be held at 5:30pm and the public is invited to attend.
Construction on phase one of the park was completed last fall but officials wanted to give the grass time to grow and take root before the official opening today. Phase 1 of the project includes two new flat fields which will be used for city recreation teams and programs such as football and soccer.
The property, which was purchased by the city in 2004, has undergone multiple revisions over the years. A master plan was developed in 2017 after receiving a grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for $500,000. According to Pat O’Mara, Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director, the city has redefined the property to ensure any future fields or facilities would be efficiently located on the property.
The city will now start looking at plans for phase two of the complex which could include full paving, lights for fields and potentially baseball and softball fields.
