Tranquility Park along 120th and Maple streets is about to get a makeover changing one grass field into synthetic turf.
That's a game changer for teams like Sporting Omaha FC.
"Right now when it rains, chances of all of the city's grass fields being canceled on them is pretty high," said Tim Bennett, executive director of Sporting Omaha FC.
One season they had to cancel two straight weeks because of the weather and this new turf will help them compete.
"We don't necessarily have to worry about rain outs. We don't necessarily have to worry about the time change and the lighting change. At least there's some games that will still go on despite those obstacles," said Bennett.
Meanwhile in the legislature on Friday, Sen. Brett Lindstrom introduced a bill to spur on economic growth in that area, LB 739.
"We're looking at ways for economic development and this seems like an option for us," Lindstrom said.
The bill would create a turn back tax for sporting facilities with at least 12 fields. Currently indoor arenas like Ralson and Baxter have this incentive which takes existing sales tax going to the state and puts it back locally.
"It wasn't necessarily to say that we have a project coming or anything in the near future it just is a mechanism through the turn back to facilitate that," Lindstrom said.
While that bill's future is still in doubt, what is for sure is at least one field will get a facelift creating excitement in Omaha's soccer community.
"People come back because they want to play on good facilities. And so as long as the facilities keep up people are going to want to come back and back and our tournaments are going to grow the economic impacts of those tournaments are going to grow," Bennett said.
The total cost of the project is roughly $750,000 and paid for by the Nebraska State Soccer Association. The upgrades should be completed by the end of the year.
