BREC closes soccer fields and dog park through June to prep for major tournament

BREC closed the Burbank Soccer Complex, the neighboring dog park and the fishing pond last week in preparation for the Southern Regional Championships.

The parks will remain closed through June for a multi-phased maintenance and rest schedule to prepare the natural turf soccer fields for tournament play. Because the parks are not gated, BREC staff decided the best strategy to limit foot traffic on the soccer fields was to temporarily shut down the neighboring dog park and limit access to the fishing pond, according to Lynley Ferris, BREC’s publicity and marketing manager.

There’s roughly two dozen soccer fields as part of the Burbank Soccer Complex, and Ferris says that four more fields are under construction.

The tournament is expected to bring more than 250 teams to Baton Rouge at the end of June with a $22 million economic impact to the area. BREC is hosting the tournament in partnership with Baton Rouge Soccer Club. The tournament was previously held in Baton Rouge in 2010, 2014 and 2019.

This story originally appeared in an April 28 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.