Planned Soccer Fields Could Give Wentzville Economic Kick

Four new soccer fields will go a long way to meeting recreational needs and backlogs in the Wentzville area. When the city’s plan, Project Parks, is finished, the sports complex at Heartland Park will be a soccer mini-Mecca.

But the soccer fields will do more for Wentzville than provide recreation. It also should give the city an economic kick.

In his state of the city address, Mayor Paul Lambi said hotels became interested in locating in Wentzville in part because of the planned soccer fields. Phase 1, which includes two soccer fields at Heartland Park, should be completed in 2014.

Marketing and Business Development Manager Larry Tucker noted that Fairfield Inn has announced it is building a hotel in Wentzville.

“We can’t say their decision to locate here was exclusively because of the soccer fields,” Tucker said. “But they did want to be here because of our population growth, the parks, GM expanding, several things coming together.”

Tucker said hotel chains do see increasing potential for business travelers to stay in Wentzville. If they also see potential for weekend travelers for events such as soccer tournaments, that gives more incentive, he said.

Parks Director Mary Jo Dessieux said she sees potential for some successful regional tournaments at Heartland Park. One of the two fields built in phase 1 will be a synthetic field, which allows the city to play games practically around the clock. The field also will be striped for little league football.

“Being located where we are, with Lincoln County to the north and Warren County to the west, there aren’t any synthetic fields in the area,” Dessieux said.

It makes tournament play much more practical. In fact, Friends of Wentzville Parks President Greg Younger said group members would like to see one of the other parks be a synthetic field, too.

Dessieux said she envisions tournaments staged at the field when it's ready, both by third parties and by the city.

“I think we’ll give it a shot ourselves and see how that turns out,” Dessieux said.

Tournaments translate into visitors coming to Wentzville, stopping at gas stations, restaurants and perhaps some stores. For a bigger tournament, they may even spend a night or two in a hotel.

There will be more league games at the park too, and that helps too, Younger said.

“A lot of folks drive down to Chesterfield now to have their sons or daughters play soccer,” Younger said. “Now they’ll be staying in town, taking their families out to eat after the game. That will help small businesses.”

Heartland Park is near the Dierberg shopping center.

“There’s a small pizza shop near Dierberg’s called Pizza Pro,” Younger said. “How great for the owner to have that right on the corner. That’s a great opportunity for business.”