Soccer complex may be trimmed

Diana Sahagun

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 | 10:57 a.m.

Mike Meyer no longer works for the Community College of Southern Nevada, and now a soccer complex he and Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald teamed up to build on the West Charleston campus could be scaled back.

Meyer was the college's athletic director in June 2000 when the city entered into an agreement with the school to build the complex for the women's soccer team, as well as a park for nearby Opportunity Village. Meyer worked closely with McDonald on the project, and the two, board members for Charities of Southern Nevada, are friends.

College officials, who want to reduce the scope of the plan, say the cost of the project has doubled and, due to the recent economic downturn, the school cannot fund the entire project.

The request comes about four months after Meyer -- who spearheaded the project -- resigned after admitting to a racial slur that was heard by the wife of Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas.

McDonald was scheduled to meet with CCSN representatives today in hopes of finding a way to maintain the original agreement, and to determine why the cost of the project has increased.

To help fund the project, the city gave the college $700,000 for the design and construction of three lighted soccer fields -- one tournament field and two practice fields -- a 2-acre park and an asphalt parking lot, according to the agreement, which was approved by the City Council on June 21, 2000.

The city also donated lights from the Charleston Heights Preservation Park, scrapped because of a freeway expansion, and a shade structure.

In return, CCSN agreed to "provide sufficient additional funds, contributions and donations to complete the project in its entirety ..."

McDonald said Friday that the $700,000 allocation was meant to cover the entire construction. The project originally was slated to open this past summer.

Nearby residents weren't excited about the project, as they were waiting for a 10-acre park, which McDonald had promised them, to be built atop a detention basin at Oakey Boulevard and Redwood Street.

Instead, the city funded the CCSN park and a 40-acre lighted football field complex at Buffalo Drive and Oakey Boulevard.

Last month, after a grand opening for the football field complex, the council awarded the construction contract for the 10-acre park on Redwood Street.

According to a letter sent to the city's Public Works department on Oct. 25, the college is unable to complete the soccer complex and is requesting a reduction in the project's scope. At the time the agreement was approved, Meyer told college officials the project would not exceed $700,000, said Joe Carter, director of special projects for the college.

Carter said Monday that the college has determined the park, if built in its original form, would cost $1.9 million.

The college wants to reduce the project to one tournament soccer field, one practice field, a one-acre park and a gravel parking lot. But even with the cutbacks, the park is estimated at $1.2 million, or $500,000 above what the college anticipated. The complex is estimated to be completed in May 2002, according to the letter.

An amendment was scheduled to be considered during Wednesday's council meeting.

McDonald said Friday that he is looking for a private sponsor for the third soccer field and is considering approaching Clark County for additional funding.

McDonald said he still believes the Board of Regents consider the soccer complex a priority.

"It's a matter of questions that need to be answered. I just want to know what it's going to take to get it done," McDonald said.

McDonald said he was optimistic the situation would be resolved after he meets with college officials.

"There were promises made, so we just want to make sure that's honored," McDonald said. "And I think that it will be."

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