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First indoor lacrosse facility in the works for Calgary

After 12 years of location scouting, fundraising, and gathering support, the Calgary Winter Lacrosse Association will finally get to build Calgary's first indoor lacrosse facility.

It will be built on a site at Glenmore Trail and Odgen Road in the city's southeast, on an eight-acre parcel of land, which is about the size of four soccer fields.

Brian Couronne, past president of the Association, says the new centre should be completed by spring 2016.

There are almost 6,000 active lacrosse players in Calgary.

Lacrosse players wanted a facility of their own, because indoor soccer centres have carpeted floors, and lacrosse is played on bare rink floors.

The Calgary Winter Lacrosse Association raised $2 million through private fundraising to buy the land. The project was almost cancelled when the site was assessed with a $1.3-million dollar infrastructure fee owed to the city.

The so-called "acreage assessment fee" is normally due on undeveloped communities in Calgary, to help the city recover infrastructure costs such as fire halls.

But the site chosen for the lacrosse centre was already developed, so City Council waived the fee and the project was able to continue.

The new facility will be available for sports that need a dry floor pad, including lacrosse, roller derby, and ball hockey.