Midland park project boasts 62 soccer fields

Midland is moving forward with a project that will make one of its parks a premier venue for soccer in West Texas, with 62 playing fields of varying sizes for different age groups and over 2,000 parking spaces.

At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Midland City Council adopted a funding plan that will see the renovation of Beal Park occur in three phases over the next four years.

Currently, Beal Park features a cricket field, three lighted soccer fields, four artificial turf and four grass baseball fields, a fishing pond and gazebo, skate park, dog park, playground and 45 acres of undeveloped parkland.

Should this renovation project be completed as planned, the undeveloped portion of the park will transform into open park space, and the project will also include a park “hub” featuring an amphitheater for park concerts and other events, playground, splash pad and other amenities. In addition to 2,041 parking spaces, the project includes hookups for 15 RVs traveling to soccer tournaments.

The renovation will be paid via the park special purpose funds, according to city officials.

“We created what I would call our first regional facility for soccer,” said Jack Ladd, District 3 Councilmember for the City of Midland. “We are going to be able to host tournaments we were never able to host before, bringing in new revenue to the city, and preventing parents from having to travel so much to DFW, Austin, San Antonio, it’s really a win-win for the city. It’s an investment in our future.”

The following is a rendering of the completed project.