“I’m sick and tired of having to travel a long ways to go do these things.”
Former Husker baseball coach and Major League Baseball player Darin Erstad’s sentiment has been shared by many over the years, but soon local youth baseball and softball players will have a premiere complex right in their own backyard.
City and county leaders gathered Wednesday to announce the Lincoln Youth Complex, a multi-field facility planned near I-180 and Cornhusker Highway, just north of Oak Lake. The complex will include a playground as well as parking for over 750 vehicles, overflow parking, perimeter fencing, concession stands, and other amenities such as a ticket booth and batting cages.
As for the fields themselves, there will be eight in total. Two will be championship fields, one each for baseball and softball. Five youth fields will be used for both sports. And one field will be the new home of Homer’s Heroes for mentally and physically challenged youth.
Additionally, the outfield areas could be used to accommodate flag football, soccer, lacrosse, and other sports, providing at least 15 fields of play for the complex.
The Lincoln Youth Complex, which is currently titled Legacy Park but will eventually have a formal name, will see ground broken in spring of 2023 with completion set for fall 2024.
“This complex will be a game changer,” said Jeff Maul, Executive Director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A feasibility study determined the economic impact on the city will be substantial. That includes over 100,000 new visitors in the first year and doubling by year three. Financially for year one, the expected economic impact is $9 million, felt across several sectors, including hotels, restaurants, and retail.
The complex will also become the new home Nebraska Wesleyan University’s baseball and softball programs. Currently the two teams play at Woods Park and University Place Park, respectively.
“We believe, collectively, that every great city deserves a great youth softball and baseball complex,” said Rich Claussen, a community and business associate at Olsson who led the announcement ceremony. “This is ours.”
You can see a video fly-through of the project at LincolnYouthComplex.com.
