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Byron Twp. planning commission approves indoor soccer complex

Posted at 10:33 PM, Apr 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-16 22:33:34-04

BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Plans for a huge indoor soccer facility are one step closer to becoming a reality in Byron Township after a planning commission meeting on Monday.

The commission voted unanimously to move the project forward.  The proposed Uniprop multi-soccer indoor complex now has just one more hurdle to overcome: final approval by the township board at their next meeting in May.

"I think this is a great facility, I think it brings tremendous opportunity for the township," says Uniprop regional vice president Glenn Couch.

Uniprop is planning a complex that will include three regulation size indoor soccer fields.

"The real gist of this is it creates a need for club soccer," Couch says. "This is the soccer where they start teaching the kids at a very young age, 6, 7 years old, and goes all the way up to adult leagues."

The target site is northeast of 84th Street and Burlingame.  Uniprop is touting it as the largest indoor soccer facility in the country, but some community members voiced concerns during the public comment portion of Monday's meeting.

"I'm very concerned about traffic and I'm concerned about the cut through traffic that is going to come through the development," one person said. "I'm concerned about the safety of the kids."

David Jirousek, the planning consultant for Byron Township, says a traffic study found that traffic in the area would be within acceptable limits.

"They did come back with a traffic study last week and found based on a review from the Kent County Road Commission, myself and the Township engineer, that the traffic conditions would not be degraded," he said. "They will be fairly in line with what they are today. So it is a pretty significant project, but the traffic impact is minimal."

Uniprop says they needed 60 acres to build the 330,000 square foot facility that will also have restaurants and gift shops.  The company hopes to break ground in June and have the facility finished by January 2019.