Homewood Soccer Club
Homewood Soccer Club
Homewood Soccer Club has released a statement regarding the recent announcement of proposed changes to the Samford Creekside East development that suggest the new track and soccer athletic complex be built on a portion of the Homewood Soccer Park.
The Soccer Club stated they were not contacted about the proposed development plan and did not agree to it.
You may have seen recent announcements from Landmark and Samford University regarding a proposed relocation of Samford’s track and soccer facilities to Homewood Soccer Park. The announcement referenced shared use between Samford, the community, and Homewood Soccer Club.
We want to assure you that this proposal was not developed in partnership with Homewood Soccer Club or Homewood Parks & Recreation, and it was not something we were made aware of prior to the public announcement. Like many of you, we are still learning details and evaluating the situation. We want to be clear—we were not part of any conversations or agreements related to this concept."
The statement continued, reiterating the club's commitment to the families and athletes connected to their programs and promising continued advocacy for the needs of their players, noting that they serve more than 2,000 young athletes from their youth Patriots program to competitive club play for high schoolers who regularly compete for State Championships in the division. They also highlighted Homewood Parks & Recreation for their support that has resulted in the club' growth and success over the last 25 years.
We truly appreciate the dedication and effort that Homewood Soccer has consistently demonstrated in helping to make our program one of the premier soccer organizations in the state,' said Berkley Squires, Director of Homewood Parks & Recreation and Public Services. "Our partnership over the past 25 years has been instrumental in providing an exceptional soccer experience for the Homewood community, and we look forward to continuing this successful collaboration for many more years to come."
The statement also encouraged those with questions or concerns to reach out to their City Council representatives.
Landmark Development and Samford University announced on Monday a revised proposal for Creekside East, the track and soccer facility originally planned for property east of Homewood High School. The proposed changes would move the athletic complex to avoid impacting Homewood's salamander population that resides on the property next to HHS, which was a top concern mentioned in several community conversations held by the developers.
The new proposal still needs to be submitted to the city, but if approved, the track and soccer facility will be built on existing Homewood Park and Recreation soccer fields west of Creekside West and shared by the community, Homewood Soccer Club, Homewood High School and Samford University. The original Creekside East site would remain a green space withe the possibility of future efforts to enhance the natural environment.
No part of the development, Creekside East or Creekside West, has been approved by the council yet. Public hearings for items related to the development will be held during a council meeting on June 9 at 6 p.m. This new proposal is not currently part of those items.
