APS prepares for West Side sporting center

SHAPE FOR THE LONG-AWAITED WESTSIDE SPORTING COMPLEX -- WHICH WILL INCLUDE A STADIUM TODAY A-P-S OFFICIALS MET WITH THE ARCHITECTS TO GO OVER DESIGN IDEAS JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR LOMAS AND JUAN TABO TO EXPLAIN WHY THE CLOCK IS TICKING TO GET THE STADIUM UP AND RUNNING JEFF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ONLY HAS TWO STADIUMS TO WORK WITH - - MILNE AND WILSON SO MANY TEAMS USE THE STADIUMS - - THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN FORCED TO TURN SOME PEOPLE AWAY BUT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE - SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY A SPORTING COMPLEX ON THE WESTSIDE WILL HELP MORE TEAMS FIND A PLACE TO PLAY I don t really enjoy it because getting out - the traffic getting out takes ten to fifteen minutes ANDREW BUSTAMANTE OCCASIONALLY WATCHES GAMES AT WILSON AND MILNE STADIUMS BUT HE SAYS IT S ALWAYS PACKED - AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW STADIUM AND SPORTING COMPLEX ON THE WESTSIDE so it will be more convenient it will be a lot better and everyone will be a lot happier - less traffic back and forth that s what I m thinking A-P-S OFFICIALS SAY THE IDEA OF THE SPORTING COMPLEX IS TO HAVE IT LOOK MORE LIKE UNIVERSITY STADIUM - - WITH ABOUT SEVEN THOUSAND SEATS AND THE ABILITY TO HOLD THREE THOUSAND MORE IT WILL BE LOCATED NEAR I-40 AND PASEO DEL VULCAN NEAR THE TEMPUR-PEDIC FACTORY THE COST COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM FIVE MILLION - TO MORE THAN 25 MILLION DOLLARS we re looking at it as an entire complex so it s a significant amount of dollars when you start to put in all of those facilities THE COMPLEX WILL INCLUDE A TRACK TENNIS COURTS A SOCCER AND SOFTBALL COMPLEX AND A PEDESTRIAN PLAZA A-P-S IS HOPING STATE LEGISLATORS WILL HELP FUND THE PROJECT THEY RE ALSO IN TALKS WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY SINCE THEY WILL LIKELY BE USING IT TOO it will be a facility that every kid in the school district that is an athlete or that is graduating may get to use over the course of their career DISTRICT OFFICIALS ARE HOPING TO BREAK GROUND ON THE PROJECT WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF BUT A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE LEGISLATURE DECIDES TO PITCH IN LIVE IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE JEFF MAHER EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR