Marion County officials will likely reject the single bid received for a planned soccer field restoration project at the Belleview Sportsplex after the proposal came in over budget.
The recommendation to deny the bid will go before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its upcoming regular meeting on Tuesday, July 21.
Under the proposed motion, county staff would be authorized to refine the project’s scope and re-advertise the matter for bids at a later date in hopes of securing more competitive pricing.
Belleview Sportsplex currently serves as a major regional athletics hub in the area, hosting multiple baseball, softball, football, and soccer leagues. The property also features tennis and basketball courts, picnic areas, playgrounds, and necessary support infrastructure like concessions and restrooms.
Marion County Parks and Recreation plans to fully restore the recreational soccer fields at the complex, which is located at 6501 SE 107th Street in Belleview. Proposed improvements include removing the existing turf surface, correcting surface irregularities with clean fill, performing comprehensive laser grading to improve slope and drainage, and installing new Bermuda grass sod to ensure a smooth and safe playing surface.
The bid solicitation period closed in June, but county procurement procedures yielded only one submittal. Following subsequent reviews and discussions between Parks & Recreation and Procurement Services, officials determined that the single bid exceeded the department’s allocated budget. The amount of the bid was not listed in the county’s report on the matter.
The delay in the field restoration marks the latest chapter in the long, community-driven history of the sports complex, which has repeatedly evolved to keep pace with local growth.
During the 1960s, local youth sports and recreational activities were confined to a small, three-acre tract in central Belleview now known as Cherokee Park. When league participation rapidly outgrew that space, city leaders looked toward a 17-acre property on what is now SE 107th Street. That space had originally been donated to the town in 1944.
In the mid-1970s, area residents rallied together to develop the donated land into a recreational center. Through volunteer labor and direct donations of money and materials, the group constructed several early league fields alongside tennis and basketball courts.
Local demand eventually exceeded what the 17-acre facility could handle and in 1991, the county utilized its Pennies for Parks program to acquire an adjacent 60-acre tract, prompting a collaborative master plan between Belleview and Marion County officials to fully utilize the site.
What are your thoughts on the county’s decision to pause and re-advertise the soccer field restoration project at the Belleview Sportsplex? Share your perspective in a comment below or write a letter to the editor.