Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

March groundbreaking hoped for soccer complex in county

Dec 7, 2007
By MICKEY POWELL - Bulletin Staff Writer. The Southern Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority aims to break ground on its soccer complex in Henry County by March, officials said Thursday.

Construction plans are to be completed by Dec. 20 and if the authority is pleased with them, the project can be put to bid soon thereafter, Chairman Bob Davis said during the authority’s monthly meeting.

The project is “picking up some momentum” now, he said.

The $4 million soccer complex, which the authority will own and operate, will be built near the intersection of U.S. 58 Bypass and Irisburg Road (Virginia 650).

Henry County Administrator Benny Summerlin, who serves on the authority, said the county will seek $425,000 in state recreation access funds to build an access road into the complex.

He said the Henry County Board of Supervisors, which will consider a resolution to that effect Tuesday, plans to spend an additional $140,000 on the access road’s construction for a total project cost of $565,000.

There is no competition with other localities involved in obtaining the state funds, and the Virginia Department of Transportation has said the project qualifies for them, he said. “You either qualify for them or you don’t.”

Plans originally were to access the soccer complex through Urban Drive, off Irisburg Road. Summerlin said, though, that Urban Drive is “not wide enough, and there are a number of homes along it” so it is not a suitable access.

The new access road will connect with Irisburg Road, he said.

He added that the county also will spend about $200,000 on upgrading Irisburg Road, including the installation of turn lanes, near the complex.

The authority also will operate a $16 million indoor sports arena/fieldhouse to be built at the corner of Fayette and Market streets in uptown Martinsville. Executive Director Dennis Toney said the authority expects to move forward in developing plans for the 80,000-square-foot facility early next year.

The Harvest Foundation is funding both facilities, which officials have said could be built within the next two years.

Authority officials said that most area residents seem more interested in the soccer complex than the uptown arena. Authority member Mike Smith, who is public relations manager for the Martinsville Speedway, said he thinks interest in the arena will grow as people realize its economic importance.

Economic developers say both facilities should lure out-of-towners to the community for sports tournaments and other special events. Those people would stay at local motels, eat at area restaurants and shop in local stores, and the money they spend would boost the local economy.

To lure tournaments and visitors to the sports complexes and get them to return, “we’ve got to build excitement” about the facilities and “roll out the red carpet” when visitors arrive, Smith said.

Rental rates for either facility have not yet been set, but Toney said local renters could be charged less than people or organizations from elsewhere. Summerlin suggested giving discounts to “volume users.”

Also Thursday, Toney announced that two interns will begin working for the authority in January.

Ellen Neal Webb, a recent University of South Carolina graduate with a degree in sports management, will be coordinator of events.

Billy Russo, a High Point University graduate now working on a master’s in sports administration, will handle some authority operations matters.

Both will have paid internships, Toney said. He did not disclose how much they will earn.

Webb and Russo need the internships to meet degree requirements, he said, adding that Webb already received her degree under a special arrangement.

Toney said he is in the process of hiring an office manager/administrative assistant. He also plans to hire a public relations/marketing employee in the spring, he said.

The authority also learned there have been discussions about the possibility of it having some type of partnership with the Martinsville Mustangs college-league baseball team. Authority members were encouraged to think of ways the two entities might be able to partner.