Murfreesboro Post
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Murfreesboro will become ‘Soccer City’




This graphic shows the rough layout of the city’s proposed soccer tournament facility at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.CITY OF MURFREESBORO

This graphic shows the rough layout of the city’s proposed soccer tournament facility at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.CITY OF MURFREESBORO

It looks like Murfreesboro will be “Soccer City” as the Tennessee State Soccer Association approved the city for its new tournament complex.

TSSA’s board of directors announced on Dec. 1 they had selected Murfreesboro over Clarksville.

“The board voted to locate its statewide soccer facility in Murfreesboro pending the successful negotiation of a management agreement and approvals by the City Council,” the TSSA said in a statement.

In October the city offered to convert the existing Richard Siegel Soccer Complex into the TSSA site. The city had initially wanted to build the TSSA complex on its property at Interstate 840 where it had planned to build the future Blackman Park; the park would have relocated to other city-owned land off Tennessee Highway 96. Hundreds of Blackman residents protested the swap.

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said the deal is a win-win for the city and TSSA. He said he hopes to finalize the agreement soon to create “one of the best facilities in the country.”

City spokesman Mike Browning said, “We are excited about partnering with the Tennessee State Soccer Association on the new complex and we are delighted that TSSA choose Murfreesboro and its existing Siegel Soccer Park for expansion.  It will be a boost to economic development in our growing city and we look forward to serving the statewide soccer community with the new synthetic fields, indoor training center and offices by 2020.”

The city had proposed to enter into a 20-year contract with TSSA in which the city would build and manage a “statewide park and training facility.” TSSA would receive branding and sponsorship rights within the facility.

The city’s contract with TSSA will have to be approved the City Council. The city has not announced a final decision on how Blackman Park will be developed.

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