The City of Concord is nearing completion of an enclosed soccer structure that can be used nearly year-round as part of the recreation department’s improvements to Keach Park.

The soccer mini pitch’s dimensions are roughly 50 x 100 feet, according to Parks and Rec director David Gill, and it’s made of the same material that you’d find on an outdoor basketball or tennis court. It’s considered easy to maintain after it’s installed.

“It’s a great location here, especially because this greater neighborhood, the Heights, everybody loves soccer,” Gill said. “Once it’s up and paved, there’s no ongoing maintenance on our end regarding overuse of grass or having to close it because of too much rain. Somebody can shovel it in the wintertime. We’ll have the lights on.”

Funding for the project comes through the city’s 2023 fiscal year budget. Estimated to cost $150,000, Gill said it will come in below that mark.

The decision to add the mini pitch mirrors that of Parks and Rec adding pickleball courts at Rolfe Park two years ago. Gill said they’d identified underused, old tennis courts, and with a high demand for a place to play pickleball, they undertook the upgrades. Similarly now, demand for soccer mini pitches – allowing for an alternative, faster-paced version of the sport –has increased.

Ward Nine City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Candace White Bouchard, who represents the neighborhood, expressed an appreciation for the city’s continued investment in a press release.

“I was proud to help advocate for the park to be fully renovated in 2004 to include new athletic fields with irrigation, a new parking lot, park access and other improvements,” she said. “I am very proud that the city’s investment in this neighborhood continues to this day.”

Gill estimated that construction on the mini pitch should conclude next week, though it won’t be painted green with soccer lines until June. The recent stretch of wet, cold weather has delayed the painting company they hired for the job.

Still, it’ll provide a great opportunity for both residential use and for organized leagues. Especially with the closing of FieldHouse Sports in Bow this past January, soccer leagues will be looking for locations to play.

“It’s definitely an asset to the neighborhood,” Gill said. “But it’s also an asset to the entire community, which is awesome.”

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