Council reviews vision framework for Premier Athletic and Recreation Campus

City parks staff and consultants presented a draft vision framework for the Premier Athletic and Recreation Campus intended to coordinate Derry Fields, Sports Ohio and adjacent city-owned properties as a single campus for tournaments, community recreation and economic activity.

Chris Will opened the presentation and credited stakeholder outreach and a Sports Ohio steering committee. Staff framed the framework as a high-level, flexible guide that organizes program-area pods, open-space protections (including South Fork Indian Run and Derryfield woodlots), circulation and pedestrian/cycling connections centered on the signature trail.

The framework highlights tournament capacity and economic opportunities. Staff noted that the largest current tournament, the Nike Cup in April, draws about 18,500 attendees and that upgrade options include improved spectator surfaces, additional parking and defined drop-off/shuttle areas. "The illustrative concept shown here shows how different uses can be accommodated across the park as the park fills out and changes over time," Chris Will said.

Council members asked whether cricket fields were included; parks staff (Matt Erman) said the current study does not yet include dedicated cricket fields but that staff will engage cricket leagues and stakeholders in the next phase to determine feasibility. Members also raised parking, drop‑off staging and potential off‑site overflow agreements (for buses) to avoid excessive on‑site paved areas.

Staff said they will revise the renderings based on feedback (move signature building to front University Boulevard, shield parking, and refine orientation and parking counts) and return to council for review and adoption of the framework.

Next procedural step: staff to incorporate council feedback and return the updated framework for future council action.