ROYAL CITY — A new soccer field in Royal City’s Lions Park should be ready for use in early October.  

“The project is not complete, (but) the major part is complete,” Royal City Mayor Mike Christensen said. “The turf is down; the fence is in.” 

Christensen said laying down the turf meant the field will be available for use this fall, although a few weeks are required for the grass to establish roots. Using grass seed would’ve kept the area closed until next spring, he said. 

“It looks amazing,” Christensen said. 

The field has been under construction since June, and Christensen said the project has gone pretty smoothly.  

“The contractor has been willing to work with us,” he said.  

The city received a grant of about $350,000 from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office to pay for construction, with the city paying the balance. Christensen estimated the final cost would be between $400,000 and $450,000.  

The turf was more expensive but meant the field would be available more quickly, he said.  

The soccer field is the first phase of a long-term project to enlarge Lions Park that started when the property was purchased in 2018. The soccer field and adjacent, still undeveloped property extend the park along Acacia Street West to Cedar Avenue Northeast.   

The Royal School District has some publicly accessible soccer fields, Carpenter said, but the Lions Park pitch will be the only public one in town not owned by RSD. 

The new soccer field is at the intersection of Acacia and Cedar. City officials are planning to plant grass in the unimproved section while they discuss with city residents what to do with it.  

“There are a lot of things it could be,” he said.  

City officials want to add playground toys, and focusing on playground expansion is one option. Another is pickleball courts, he said. The option that has drawn the most interest from the community so far is a splash pad, he said. Whatever option is chosen, city officials want to keep at least part of the section as open space, he said.  

The contractor leveled the unimproved section of the park while working on the soccer field, so it will be accessible to city residents once the grass is established. Christensen said city officials plan to apply for other grants eventually and think finishing the soccer field and planting grass in the remaining property will increase Royal City’s chances of success.