If all goes as planned, beginning next August, two Lexington professional soccer teams will play in a 55-hundred seat stadium near I-75 off Athens Boonesboro Road. Tuesday, the Lexington Sporting Club held a news conference. One of the speakers was Amanda Vandervort, the president of the United Soccer League’s Super League, a womens’ league. She said the complex will be popular with players and fans of all ages.
“That includes the youth. That includes the W league team, which launched this summer, which is women's pre professional soccer. And then of course, the pro league. that's not just special here in Lexington that really is a special institution, youth to pro pathway.”
The complex will feature multiple soccer practice fields for youth leagues. Bill Shively is the majority owner of the Lexington Sporting Club, the mens’ team that’s played home games on the road. He said the $82 million development will also attract new businesses.
“The overall project will be fairly massive, and there'll be at least two hotels on the site. And there'll be probably seven to 10 restaurants.”
A traffic engineer with the City of Lexington told WEKU News the road leading to the complex will have a temporary stoplight, which will be replaced in two or three years by a restricted crossing u-turn intersection. Governor Andy Beshear and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton also spoke at the event.
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