Stonehaus and SOCA Form Partnership to Establish Permanent Location for SOCA and Additional Playing Fields
Plan includes several soccer fields, an all-weather facility, and SOCA office/field house
Charlottesville, VA
On October 11th, Stonehaus and the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville/Albemarle (SOCA), announced that SOCA has plans to establish permanent soccer and recreational facilities in Belvedere.
“Creating a permanent home for SOCA in Belvedere helps us create a physically active and socially vibrant community, one where kids can get off the couch and find plenty of opportunities to play safely outdoors, and families can walk to sporting events and recreational facilities,” said Robert M. Hauser, founder and chief executive officer for Stonehaus. “This is one of many initiatives we’re undertaking at Belvedere to create a real sense of community and ensure that every Belvedere resident can enjoy open space for recreation, including trails, pocket parks, a dog park, the Village Green and now, sports fields.”
SOCA participation is growing at a rate of 3 to 5 percent per year, with approximately 6,000 local families participating in at least one SOCA program in the past three years. SOCA will register more than 10,000 players in 22 separate programs this year alone.
“Belvedere is an optimal site for the current and future needs of SOCA,” said Rick Natale, president of SOCA’s Board of Directors. “We’re planning to build a permanent office for our organization, along with an indoor field house, and an all-weather outdoor field that allows us to extend the season and train under even the most difficult weather conditions.”
Kenneth Boyd, chairman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, added, “I am excited that we were able to facilitate this proposal and fulfill the board's promise to find an alternative site. We applaud both Stonehaus and SOCA in reaching an agreement towards the creation of a permanent home for this very important recreational program. The Board wanted the facilities to be located in the growth area and be sensitive to traffic, noise, and light issues, and this plan intends to address these concerns.”
The creation of permanent and versatile training and recreational fields in Belvedere helps alleviate competing demands in and around Charlottesville. “By building several new fields, including an all-weather facility in Belvedere, we ease the wear and tear on existing fields and simply add more locations to meet the growing demands of the local soccer community," Natale said.
Plans for SOCA in the Belvedere development include:
- Four to five adjacent grass soccer fields with a view of the Rivanna river,
- An all-weather soccer field to accommodate training and competition - with full cut-off lighting for night use, and
- An indoor field house with a junior-sized soccer field, which provides training and competition under any weather condition, and will also include administrative offices.
Supervisor David Slutzky, who represents the Rio District where Belvedere is located, also is pleased to see the concept of this partnership moving forward. “I have been very interested in seeing the needs of SOCA addressed in our development area, and based on what I have seen so far, I look forward to seeing this proposal move through the approval process as quickly as possible,” Slutzky said.
About SOCA
The Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle provides superb programming and opportunities for more than 3,600 youth and adult soccer enthusiasts each season, including enjoyable, effective, quality soccer programs, which develop participants' skills and encourage citizenship. SOCA is open to all youth and adults in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.
www.socaspot.org
