Kilbourne Run Sports Park

Kilbourne Run Sports Park has become one of the city’s busiest soccer facilities hosting over 30,000 participants each year. The existing park is in northeast Columbus Ohio where there are not many soccer fields for league play. The park is currently a soccer-specific facility that stretches over 62-acres with 35 of those acres dedicated to athletic space and provides 16 natural turf fields of various sizes, gravel parking lots, an existing shelter, concession/storage building, and a two-story vacant commercial building. A Conservation area and Kilbourne Run stream are located along the north end of the park. The stream is in a deep ravine and is heavily wooded. An existing pond located next Kilbourne Run naturally outlets to the stream. The Olentangy – Alum Creek Connector trail is an existing east/west trail that runs along the south portion of the park. This trail connects the Alum creek multi-use Trail (Ohio to Erie Trail) to the Olentangy Trail.

DLZ is re-designing Kilbourne Run Sports Park to deliver prime fields and facilities that will increase access to soccer and other field sports for the Columbus community and position Columbus as a destination for regional tournaments. The new facility will include 5 full sized 11v11 natural turf fields and 6 full sized 11v11 artificial turf fields that can be restriped for multiple age groups. Lighting for fields will be provided for extra training times, shelter areas for weather delays, and adequate parking spaces for soccer events. Restroom facilities, both permanent and temporary will be developed throughout the park. The new facility will include a stadium plaza to accommodate two team rooms with restrooms, public restrooms, concessions, a multipurpose room for team events, and an official’s changing area with restrooms.

There will be stadium seating for 800 spectators as well as an elevated press box. The stadium building will overlook the championship artificial turf field. A maintenance facility will be constructed to accommodate all maintenance operations and storage required at the park. Loop paths and trails have been added to the area around the soccer fields to promote safe and efficient controlled access and egress within the park. Paths between the soccer fields provide a coordinated route for spectators and players to access the fields for their games and practices. The existing Olentangy – Alum Creek Connector trail will be enhanced and the loop trail around the soccer fields will be connected to CRPD’s 13-mile-long Linden Green Belt Trail along an abandoned rail corridor that will connect 13 parks and community centers in the area. The corridor runs through the Kilbourne Run Sports Complex.

DLZ’s team will design the utility mains and service lines for the proposed facilities infrastructure with the goal of no or minimal impact on the existing infrastructure. Lighting will be directed into the park to minimize light pollution within the neighborhood. A designated food vendor area will be established which will include a parking area for food trucks as well as an area for patrons to order and sit. The project will require several permits from different agencies. A construction manager at risk was added to the team to help facilitate in the design and enable the project to meet the expedited schedule. Value Engineering started from the master planning and is continuing throughout the design process to ensure the project stays within the construction budget.

While there are many community soccer fields around Columbus, there are only three large outdoor soccer complexes in central Ohio. Park improvements is expected to attract more players and leagues to this facility. The City of Columbus continues their commitment and vision to create a vibrant, destination sports park in a city that is ever growing in population. DLZ’s team of leaders in the industry are developing this project into a multi-generational sports park for the community as well as providing a regional tournament destination facility that visitors to Columbus will truly enjoy.