Like a forward moving into position for a clean shot, the Midland Soccer Club is closing in on its fundraising goal for a future year-round indoor facility.
But it isn’t quite there yet.
Marshall Gray, the MSC’s Executive Business Director/Head of Operations, said on Dec. 19 that about $7 million has been raised for the project and the club aims to raise another $2 million to $3 million before breaking ground on the 150,000-square-foot building that is planned near the east end of the MSC complex on Soccer Drive.
“We’ve had great support from the community foundations, but as we keep moving forward, we need to find funding sources to bridge the gap so we can get started on the project,” Gray said. “We’re making a real big push to alumni and to corporate money.”
A groundbreaking for the building was originally scheduled for the fall of 2025. Gray said an optimistic timeline for groundbreaking would now be the summer or fall of 2026. Ideally, he would like to see the facility open in 2027, which will mark the Midland Soccer Club’s 50th anniversary.
“The club was established in 1977. In the early 2000s we had the expansion,” he noted. “Based on our strategic plan, this is the next step for us as a club.
“That would be a dream come true if we could get the facility up and celebrate our 50th anniversary (at the same time),” he added.
The indoor facility will serve as the home field for the Midland Soccer Club’s Fusion Women semi-professional team. But Gray emphasized that the facility will also be rented out to other organizations and sports.
“It’s not only going to serve soccer but other youth sports as well,” he said, such as football, lacrosse, baseball and softball.
“Our number one goal with this facility is safety. It’s going to be a solid metal structure with a high-quality turf,” Gray added.