There is some hope for Calgary soccer players who are looking for more time on the pitch.
Nearly two years after an inflatable soccer dome collapsed in the southeast, its replacement is in the final stages of planning.
The new permanent structure will be attached to the existing building.
Jeff du Berger, with the Calgary Soccer Federation, says the federation believed building a permanent structure — which will likely cost more than $ 8 million — was the best route to take.
“As that was the second time it had fallen down and it was just not right to put it back up,” du Berger said.
He says there are more than 100,000 soccer players in Calgary now, so four more pitches are in demand.
“In the past when a new facility went up the sport increased between 15 and 25 per cent in participation, so we're expecting a bump to happen,” du Berger said.
Omid Nazara plays pickup soccer at the southeast facility and says it’s tough to find soccer fields.
“They book the school gym to play indoor soccer to practice a lot of times, because there are games going on these fields,” Nazara says.
du Berger says the facility is badly needed for more than soccer.
"Lacrosse plays here. We have ultimate frisbee, we have lawn bowling, the high school kids come here during the day. We have all sorts of things. We've actually had MMA functions here."
The soccer federation says the new building is in its final approval stages with the city, which owns the land.
Members are hopeful it will go to city council for a vote before the end of the year and be operating by fall of 2013.