Richmond's Regional Sports Complex will probably open in pieces. The pieces closest to finished are not the ones the project was built around. On October 7, City Manager Rob Minerich told the Parks Board that the soccer fields might not be ready until next fall. At the same meeting, he said two of the park's three playgrounds would be installed that week. The Kentucky Edge reported both on October 7.
That changes what "opening day" may mean on the 280 acres off Goggins Lane and Tates Creek Road. The work reported this month centers on playgrounds, courts, gates, and signs. Tournament play on the soccer fields could come later.
How "fall 2026" became "we'll tell you in November"
The site sits between I-75 exits 87 and 90, about five minutes from downtown, according to the city's project fact sheet. The project has been underway longer than many residents may remember. The Parks Board identified a shortage of park space in 2020. The City Commission approved buying the land in November 2021, and the city closed on it in March 2022. The Phase I bid, covering excavation, roads, and water and sewer, went to Allen Company on August 8, 2023.
The opening target has moved several times this year:
- January 2026. The city's updated fact sheet listed a fall 2026 completion.
- June 25. The City Manager's budget statement named November as the opening month.
- August. Building Maintenance Superintendent Tim Gross told The Kentucky Edge the complex would open in October.
- September 8. At a City Commission meeting, Minerich described a soft opening in mid-November. He added, "I'm not going to give you a date," according to The Kentucky Edge.
- October 7. Minerich told the Parks Board that a new opening date will be announced in November.
The Kentucky Edge linked the latest slip to change orders. On September 8, commissioners unanimously approved Order 26-132, which spends $153,819.82 from the Richmond Regional Sports Complex Fund. The money pays for conduit and junction boxes for data and security cameras, and for concrete pads and seat walls for bleachers at the tennis and pickleball courts. It also covers masonry bases for seven kiosk signs, fuel tank containment, and a larger grading and drainage plan for those courts.
Most of that list is court and site work. It shows where the near-term effort is going.
What crews are finishing this month
The October 7 report described a building and park in the finishing stages. Insulation inspections were complete, drywall work had started, and two of the three playgrounds were scheduled to be installed that week. Still on the list were the gates at the main entrance and the signs for getting around the park.
Parks Director Erin Sharp said furniture still has to be purchased. Sponsorship packages will go out after construction is finished. The park will also get its own website, its own email domain, and an app for finding your way around the grounds that will also promote nearby local businesses.
On a 280-acre property that will be rented out to tournaments, gates, signs, and a booking system are part of what has to be ready before it opens.
Where each amenity stands, as reported
The city's fact sheet lists what's planned. Recent reporting shows that each part is at a different stage.
| Amenity | Planned, per city fact sheet | Latest reported status |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer fields | 11 full-sized fields | May not be usable until next fall, per Oct. 7 report |
| Multipurpose and turf fields | 5 multipurpose, 5 artificial turf | Turf rental being considered at $4,000 per day |
| Courts | Pickleball, tennis, volleyball, basketball | Bleacher pads and drainage added in September; rentals via online portal planned |
| Playgrounds | Three | Two scheduled for installation the week of Oct. 7 |
| Shelters | Picnic shelters | Rentals via online portal planned; pricing not yet approved |
| Dog park, disc golf | Both planned | No recent status reported |
| Mountain bike trails | MadCATR system | Phase one targeted for end of 2026, per IMBA in July |
Published figures differ. The city fact sheet gives the cost as $52 million, paid for with bonds. WKYT has described it as a $60 million project. One local trail advocate, quoted by Singletracks in May, mentioned eight soccer fields. The city's own count is 11.
Why the soccer fields carry the most weight
The soccer fields matter most because outside groups want them. Minerich said the complex has drawn interest from Lexington Sporting Club, UK soccer, and regional tournaments. He also said the city attorney is looking into creating a Madison County Sports Authority to oversee activities on the property. In September he called the complex "on everybody's radar statewide." The June budget statement says the city met with Lexington Sporting Club and VisitLEX about a partnership for two regional soccer tournaments in 2028. That is still in planning, with no dates booked.
Pricing reflects that tournament focus. Parks Co-chair Dan McBride said the department is considering renting the synthetic turf fields for $4,000 per day. Sharp said rates for the courts and shelters will be comparable to similar complexes in other states, but the City Commission has not approved them. Rental contracts will include a damage clause.
For Richmond families, Minerich's other comment that day may matter more. "But make no mistake, our local youth sports program will always be our priority with this property," he said, according to The Kentucky Edge.
The trails were designed to share the property with everything else
MadCATR, the mountain bike system, is the part built most deliberately around everything else on the site. IMBA Trail Solutions designed it with Bell Engineering, KyMBA Bluegrass, and city staff, according to IMBA's July 27 write-up. The team worked around limestone shelf drainages, old cattle fencing, and pipeline crossings. At one point the designers suggested moving the planned dog park deeper into the woods. That gave dogs some shade and freed up rolling ground for a shared-use trail.
Average grades stay below 6%, which suits young riders still learning. The centerpiece is a pair of NICA race loops: a 2.5-mile middle school course and a 4.4-mile high school course. Around the basketball and volleyball courts, the trail widens to 120 inches so riders can pass, and the layout keeps road crossings to a single point.
Andrew Parson of Gravity153, the builder, told IMBA the work differs from his usual projects. "Normally, we're used to just showing up and plowing in the woods and building the place ourselves," he said. "This is kind of different in how it's going to [weave] and incorporate with these soccer fields and these pickleball courts."
In July, IMBA said phase one was slated to open by the end of 2026, with the first race expected in 2027. That target came before the October delay, so it may also change. The 2026 Kentucky ICL race series lists no Richmond stop. The master plan also includes future concepts that are not part of the current phase: an asphalt pump track for all kinds of wheels, a bicycle playground, and a lighted 2.25-mile perimeter loop with benches for walkers and runners.
Until November, Lake Reba and October's tree events
At the same Parks Board meeting, Sharp said the department plans to widen the Lake Reba walking trail from six feet to eight and connect it to the park entrance. A $250,000 state Recreational Trails grant will pay for it.
The Richmond Outdoor Committee, known as ROCK, has several Kentucky Tree Week and fall events left on its October calendar:
- October 15, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tree trivia night at Dreaming Creek Brewery
- October 17, 1 to 4 p.m. Tree day celebration at Cardinal Outdoor Laboratory, plus a maple syrup workshop at Maywoods at the same time
- October 20, 6 to 7 p.m. Tree pruning, planting, and care workshop at Armory Park
- October 24, 4 to 6 p.m. An event on local mythical creatures at Camp Catalpa Park
Parks and Recreation will also plant up to 25 trees during Tree Week with a $3,000 grant from LG&E and KU. That planting is a private event, and the location hasn't been announced.
The next confirmed date for the complex is the November announcement. Updates come through the city's Regional Sports Complex page and @richmondkyparks on Facebook and Instagram. Questions go to Parks and Recreation at (859) 623-8753.
I'm following the Goggins Lane project as closely as you are, especially for families wondering how a 280-acre park and its tournament weekends will fit into everyday life in Richmond. If you'd like to talk through what this complex may mean for your street, your commute, or your plans, Michelle Conner is always glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
