Major upgrades to two OKC parks start in the fall

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A $32.34 million Maps 4 upgrade is coming to two Oklahoma City parks starting next month. It will improve soccer fields and surrounding areas to create a public space for everyone to utilize.

Oklahoma City Council approved the plans this week.

$19.5 million of the funds will go to C.B. Cameron Park where there will be 10 new fields with lighting, new places to watch the games, a clubhouse, concession area, and a maintenance facility.

In South OKC at South Lakes Park, $6.5 million will be used for the soccer fields, restrooms, and the addition of a clubhouse and concessions.

These are renderings shared by the city that detail what these improvements will look like.

In a press release from the city, MAPS Program manager, David Todd, said," Both C.B. Cameron and South Lakes parks play a vital role in OKC's youth soccer programs, which are key to community health and wellbeing. The improvements will add amenities for our kids and families to enjoy during league play and also add capacity to host large tournaments, which drive economic impact for our city.”

The North Oklahoma City Soccer Club uses the fields at C.B. Cameron Park. They sent News 4 a statement regarding the MAPS 4 upgrades.

"These improvements will be a game changer for our soccer club and the soccer community in Oklahoma. The improvements will allow us to provide Soccer to more of our own soccer community and also host large tournaments. These tournaments will be a benefit to our city with the economic impact they will bring and to our soccer community as people will not have to travel all over the nation to go to this type of tournament. The specs that we used to build our new complex meet the requirements to bring many of the nation’s leagues largest, and most prestigious tournaments.  NOKC soccer club has enjoyed the process of being a part of Maps4 and we look forward to getting the project started."

Construction on both parks is set to start in October, and the city said it should take about a year.