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4 <br /> Overview of the Soccer.com Center <br /> Located in western Orange County on West Ten Road just south of Interstate 85/40, the <br /> Soccer.Com Center was designed specifically as a destination for local and regional <br /> soccer tournaments and to accommodate the increasing demand for soccer fields in <br /> Orange County for recreational soccer. A master plan for the Center was prepared in <br /> 2004 in conjunction with the planning for the adjacent Gravelly Hill Middle School. <br /> Funding to complete the project was authorized by the Board of County Commissioners <br /> in 2007. Construction was finalized and the Center began operation in August 2009. <br /> That same year, local sports equipment company Sports Endeavors, Inc. purchased the <br /> naming rights for the facility — initially known as Eurosport Soccer Center before <br /> transitioning into new branding with the same company as the Soccer.com Center in <br /> 2014. <br /> The Soccer.Com Center as shown in Attachment 1 occupies 34 acres and includes five <br /> full-sized Bermuda grass fields (360 feet x 225 feet) and one practice/youth field (120 <br /> feet x 240 feet). To protect the highly manicured field surfaces for tournaments and <br /> scheduled play, the facility is fenced and gated and not open for unscheduled use. The <br /> fields are equipped with lighting and surrounded by a perimeter walking track. A building <br /> inside the gate includes a concession stand, restrooms, and a shade shelter. A facility <br /> maintenance shop and offices are also part of the structure. Due to the nature of the <br /> playing surfaces and the frequency of use, the Center requires and receives a high level <br /> of maintenance by onsite staff and the Turfgrass Manager. The only other soccer fields <br /> owned and operated by Orange County are located at Efland Cheeks Park (a shared <br /> baseball outfield) and an informal practice field behind the Central Recreation Center. <br /> The facility is in high demand from March — early December. Many tournaments and <br /> events are scheduled throughout the year (please see Section 3 — Usage Data). In <br /> addition, Orange County is a heavy user of the facility for the County's burgeoning <br /> recreational soccer leagues. Youth soccer has consistently ranked as one of, if not the, <br /> leading recreation/athletics program for the County's Department of Environment, <br /> Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR). The Recreation Division is a regular user <br /> of the facility for recreational soccer as noted, and the Parks Division is responsible for <br /> the facility maintenance and operation. The DEAPR Business office handles naming <br /> rights and other licenses. <br /> The Soccer.Com Center is part of the County's commitment to quality recreational <br /> opportunities, and the facility has been lauded for its high-quality field surface <br /> maintenance and this serves to attract regional and multi-state tournaments, providing <br /> an economic boost to surrounding businesses (please see Economic Impact). Soccer is <br /> the primary use of the Center, but it is not the only sport to use the facility, with lacrosse <br /> and ultimate frisbee also holding tournaments and events on occasion. <br /> 1 <br />