Lexington Pro Soccer searching for sites for planned training facility, team complex
When Lexington Pro Soccer was announced as an expansion franchise in October, a premium was placed not only on the senior men’s team that will compete in USL League One, but also on the club’s academy and youth teams.
In addition to the USL League One team, Lexington Pro Soccer intends to field a USL League Two team that will be the club’s Under-23 men’s team and also a USL W League team that will be the club’s Under-23 women’s team.
Lexington Pro Soccer will also field academy teams at various age levels for boys and girls.
Just like the senior men’s team, those teams need somewhere to practice and play.
Lexington Pro Soccer has future plans for a downtown stadium near Rupp Arena and Central Bank Center, and recently released renderings for a proposed stadium on the current High Street parking lot as part of the High Street Development Project.
More immediately, the franchise is hoping to use the University of Kentucky’s Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex on UK’s campus for USL League One matches when the senior men’s team debuts in spring 2023.
But also in the works are plans to create a home base to be used as the franchise’s practice facility, and for its academy program and youth teams.
In October, William J. Shively — the founder of Tower Hill Sports, which is the majority owner of the franchise — said he has contracts for land near Interstate 75 in Lexington, which could be a location for the training facilities.
Shively said designs could include as many as 15 soccer fields on the land.
Also speaking in October, Vince Gabbert, the president of Lexington Pro Soccer, placed a target date of the end of summer 2022 by which the academy teams and training facilities would be ready to go.
More recently, Gabbert told the Herald-Leader in late January that the franchise’s academy teams and training facilities are still on track to be ready by that end of summer goal.
As far as the location for the training facilities and soccer complex, Gabbert said there are now “two or three potential sites” the franchise has in mind.
“We’re just trying to make sure that we make the best decision, not only for what has the biggest and best impact for the youth soccer organizations and our academy teams, but also what’s best for the city, what’s going to get the most bang for our buck and allow us to provide a product that everyone can continue to be proud of,” Gabbert said.
In October, Gabbert said the construction of the training facilities would be funded by private investment.
But that may change.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council is considering setting aside $10 million out of $121 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for land for a potential youth sports complex. No final decisions have been made.
In a January council meeting about federal coronavirus funding, city officials recommended the sports complex project be part of a competitive pool of approximately $22 million.
The sports complex project would have to compete against other potential projects, such as a new home for the Lexington Farmer’s Market, in order to receive funding under that plan. A competitive bid, or a request for proposals, would have to be completed, said Sally Hamilton, the city’s chief administrative officer.
Hamilton also cautioned the council that the U.S. Department of Treasury released updated guidelines on how American Rescue Plan Act money can be spent. It’s not clear if that money could go to buy land for a youth sports complex, she said.
The council was scheduled to meet Thursday to begin making final decisions about how to spend the federal coronavirus relief money. That meeting was postponed because of the snow and ice storm.
When asked by the Herald-Leader if Lexington Pro Soccer would apply for federal coronavirus relief money should it become available to build a practice facility and sports complex, Gabbert said yes.
“We have made the offer or at least intimated that if that’s available, we would be more than happy to take on the construction of the complex and the day-to-day operation of the complex,” Gabbert said, noting that Lexington Pro Soccer would be focused only on the soccer aspects of the potential facility and complex.
“If (the city) wants to bring in additional partners or if they want to work with others on baseball or softball, we’re very supportive of that and want to be helpful through that . . . our improvements and our operational side would just extend to the soccer piece.”
Gabbert added that through research, he’s become aware that 30% of the youth players (boys and girls) that participate in the academy program at Louisville City (the professional USL franchise in Louisville) come from Lexington.
“The ability to be able to maintain and retain that talent and give those folks an opportunity and a pathway here is something pretty special,” Gabbert said. “We feel like the stadium and the training facility and all the things that we want to put with it, provide that opportunity.”
Timeline updates
During the Herald-Leader’s wide-ranging interview with Gabbert on Jan. 25, he also addressed several aspects of Lexington Pro Soccer that were given timelines when the franchise was announced in October.
Gabbert said a six- to nine-month timeline is still being followed for naming the first head coach of the franchise’s senior men’s team, as well as the accompanying coaching staff.
This means that a coaching staff for the USL League One team would be in place sometime this spring or early summer.
Already in place is Sam Stockley — a native of England who played for nearly 20 years in England, Hungary and the United States before transitioning to coaching — as the club’s first sporting director.
Michelle Rayner — a former member of the University of Kentucky women’s soccer team coaching staff — has also already been named the senior director of performance operations for the club.
Stockley recently completed the move from his native England to Lexington.
“(Stockley’s) on the ground and fully immersed and we started talking with a number of potential candidates from a technical staff and we’re filling out our front office staff at the same time,” Gabbert said. “So we’re still on pace for where we hope to be on the staffing and personnel side.”
Since the franchise was announced in October, Gabbert has been working both as the president of Lexington Pro Soccer and as Keeneland’s vice president of strategic initiatives and legislative affairs.
When asked if he plans to continue serving in both roles, Gabbert said he hopes to be able to continue doing both as long as he can.
“Luckily the things that I’m working on have quite a bit of overlap and positive overlap, working with (the) community benefits both the stuff with my role for both entities,” Gabbert said. “From a time standpoint, it’s been something I’ve been able to manage and again, appreciative of both entities for giving me the opportunity.”
