Parks Foundation Calgary unveils renderings for mini soccer pitch in downtown west end

Parks Foundation Calgary has unveiled plans for a new miniature soccer pitch that will take over a surface parking lot in the downtown west end.

The future field, dubbed Kickstart Commons, will replace Lot 83, located at 940 8th Avenue S.W. Construction will begin this summer, according to an official with the parks foundation.

Architectural renderings from O2 Planning, though subject to change, reveal a miniature, artificial turf soccer field surrounded by trees and benches with lighting that allows for day-round use.

The field, expected to open in early 2027, will be open and available for public use, according to Junette Huynh, a project director for Parks Foundation Calgary.

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She added the roughly $1.4-million project is a collaboration between the parks foundation and the city’s downtown strategy team.

Kate Zago, a planner with the downtown strategy team, said what spurred the idea for a mini soccer field was the lack of free recreation amenities in the downtown — particularly for youth and teenagers.

Part of the downtown strategy is about finding ways to make the central business district a more vibrant, 24-7 destination, she added.

“We’re really looking at the things people want to do downtown to live, work and play,” Zago said. “What are the different community amenities we could pilot and test to increase downtown vibrancy?”

Zago said in 2023, the city and the parks foundation set up a pop-up basketball court in Century Gardens and immediately noticed that several youth from the surrounding apartment buildings would come shoot hoops at the outdoor court.

Providing a similar amenity for soccer was decided shortly thereafter, she said, based on community engagement and the sport’s growing local popularity.

“Soccer is another low-barrier sport to entry and is also a fast-growing sport in Canada,” Zago said. “We also had FIFA coming, so those are some of the reasons why we’ve decided to take this city-owned parking lot and convert it into a public space.”

Kickstart Commons will mostly be available for free public access, though Zago noted the field will eventually be booked on certain occasions for locally run soccer clinics.