Franklin County accepts FURDAP grant for new soccer field

Franklin County Commissioners this week signed the contract to accept 50 thousand dollars in state grant money to put a soccer field and basketball court at the DW Wilson Sports Complex in Apalachicola.

The county applied for the money in 2015 and the grant request was funded last year.

The money is coming from the Florida Recreation Assistance Program which helps buy land for outdoor recreation use.

In this case the money will help pay to add a football/soccer field at the DW Wilson Sports Complex as well as to construct a basketball court at the park.

The grant won’t cover the full cost of the project so the county will likely apply for more money this year – that application will be due in the Fall.

When the county took bids for just a soccer field, the bids ranged from about 100 thousand dollars to 140 thousand dollars and that did not include the electrical and lighting work that would need to be done.

The soccer field is needed to help the growing youth soccer program in Franklin County.

Local soccer teams generally have to travel to play because out of county teams like Port St. Joe won’t play on our substandard fields.

The other problem is local teams are practicing on poor fields which puts them at a disadvantage when they play or regulation fields in other areas.

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