OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha's plan to transform the 50-year-old Tranquility Park into a premier sports complex is facing delays and budget challenges, city officials revealed during a recent council meeting.
- During Tuesday's city council meeting reviewing Mayor John Ewing's recommended budget for 2026, officials disclosed that the Tranquility project remains in the preliminary design phase with costs exceeding the original $54 million budget.
- The parks department has suggested reducing the number of planned turf fields from 16 to 12.
- Video shows neighbors playing soccer on the one synthetic turf field Tranquility Park currently has.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha's plan to transform the 50-year-old Tranquility Park into a premier sports complex is facing delays and budget challenges, city officials revealed during a recent council meeting.
The city initially planned to invest $54 million to upgrade facilities, improve amenities, and convert 16 grass soccer fields to synthetic turf across the 340-acre park. However, the project is now behind schedule and over budget.
"Being able to play on turf, it gives you a longer season and it gives you the ability to not cancel games because of the grass surface when it rains and snows and sleets," Christina Lewis said.
Lewis, youth director for a local soccer club, understands the park's importance for youth tournaments. The ongoing closure of the fields during renovation has significantly impacted the soccer community.
"Simply because our teams have had to travel more because we haven't had those fields," Lewis said.
During Tuesday's city council meeting reviewing Mayor John Ewing's recommended budget for 2026, officials disclosed that the Tranquility project remains in the preliminary design phase with costs exceeding the original $54 million budget.
To address budget constraints, the parks department has suggested reducing the number of planned turf fields from 16 to 12, a proposal that drew concern from some council members.
"I think we, we'd be shortsighted to not be planning for 16," Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding said.
Despite the reduction in fields, Lewis supports moving forward with the modified plan.
"It also allows all youth leagues to get back out there. The college teams that need a stadium environment to host home games and have a quality experience," Lewis said.
The parks department plans to begin construction in November.
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