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Franklin eyes 40-acre Scott Park sports complex with eight turf diamonds and about 1,000 parking spaces
Summary
Parks staff presented a concept for a 40-acre expansion north of Scott Park that would add eight turf ball diamonds, 12 pickleball courts, two soccer fields, roughly 1,000 parking spaces and a new maintenance facility; costs are being refined and staff is exploring procurement and financing options.
Franklin City is planning a major expansion of Scott Park on about 40 acres north of the existing 5-acre site, according to an update given to the Park Board on May 21.
Parks staff described a concept plan that would convert the newly acquired tract into a sports complex with eight ball diamonds (all proposed as artificial turf, including outfields), 12 pickleball courts, two natural-grass soccer fields, playgrounds, a splash pad, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, two pedestrian bridges and roughly 1,000 parking spaces (about 750 on the new site plus 250 on the existing park side).
"All eight of these ball diamonds will now be all turf," a parks staff member said, noting that the cost of artificial turf and irrigated natural grass is comparable when long-term maintenance is considered. Staff argued turf would reduce rainouts and ongoing mowing requirements, improving tournament scheduling.
To improve traffic flow to an anticipated large user base, the project concept includes a roundabout on Commerce Drive at the park entrance. The plan also shows a new park maintenance facility on the site to consolidate operations currently housed near the recreation center. Pedestrian connections to the greenway trail system are part of the design.
Staff said they are still refining project costs and evaluating delivery options, including traditional bid-build and alternative approaches such as build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangements. The parks staff emphasized work to reduce unnecessary scope and to refine the budget, noting that exact project cost figures were not yet ready for public disclosure.
What happens next: staff will continue design and cost analysis, meet with potential delivery partners, and return to the board with updated budget and procurement recommendations before starting formal contracting or construction.
