CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Clarksville City Council recently approved over $14 million for the construction of a new, 300-acre sports complex on Rossview Road near Exit 8.

Clarksville Parks and Recreation requested an additional $14,069,806 for the project, which the City Council approved on Monday, Oct. 5, as part of the revised 2021 budget. The additional funds bring the total cost of the project to $19,367,284.

According to Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts, the project will be completed in stages, with the first stage including a new soccer complex as well as an accessible park and playground for children and adults with learning or cognitive disabilities.

While specific plans for future stages have yet to be announced, Pitts stressed the immediate need for more soccer fields in Clarksville.

“We have outgrown Heritage Park. We have outgrown just about any space that has room for a soccer field,” said Pitts. “It’s so important and used so frequently. We are just trying to take a little of the pressure off and give our athletes more places to play.”

The city is waiting on a consulting firm to complete designs for the complex, which Pitts said should be completed “any day.” Those designs will include the number and size of the fields, plus details on other amenities.

Following that, the project will enter the bidding phase.

Pitts said he hopes to see construction begin before June 2021.

He didn’t want to speculate on how long the project will take.

Getting ahead of growth

While some have criticized the high price tags on recent capital projects, Pitts said that it is the responsibility of local leaders to prepare for Clarksville’s inevitable growth.

“The formula is that private investment follows public investment,” said Pitts. “It is critical at this point to keep our community growing and meeting the challenges of growth.

“It’s no secret we are going to grow, what, 80,000 people over the next 20 years? With that demand, there is real interest in amenities for a city of 300,000 people. I think it’s incumbent on the leadership now to plan for the growth in the future. You can’t keep up with it. All you can do is make sure you are ready for it and ready to invest in it.”