Tulare opens new $10.5M outdoor sports complex with eight soccer fields

Tulare City School District opened a $10.5 million Outdoor Education Complex at 2890 S. Foster Dr. featuring eight soccer fields across 26 acres and supporting facilities; a ribbon-cutting took place Jan. 27.

Tulare City School District held a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 27 to open its new Outdoor Education Complex. The facility is located at 2890 S. Foster Dr. and covers 26 acres of green space. Construction on district property cost about $10.5 million and included bringing in full infrastructure where none existed before. District leaders described the complex as a place primarily for students that can also host community events when available. Key details: - The complex includes eight soccer fields with lighting arranged to allow night games. - The site has about 100 parking spaces and a building with restrooms and a concession stand; a storage building remains under construction. - The project was built on land that had been a ponding basin and required water, sewer, electrical, internet, bus drop-off, fencing and other infrastructure to be added. - Officials said the facility will allow the district to host playoff tournaments that were previously held elsewhere. - The fields are designed to be adaptable for other sports, including girls' football and potential volleyball courts. - Certificates at the opening were presented by representatives from the offices of Rep. Vince Fong, Rep. David Valadao, state Sens. Shannon Grove and Melissa Hurtado, and Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo. Summary: The new complex creates expanded space for school sports and occasional community events and gives the district infrastructure for future projects. A storage building is still under construction and timelines for additional work or programming were not specified, so further developments are undetermined at this time.