Aurora is looking at a rental deal with East Aurora School District to put the city’s portable soccer field at Rollins Elementary School for two weeks.
The City Council will vote on the deal Tuesday night.
The field would be at Rollins School from Sept. 16 through Sept. 30, according to the plan. It would be the first time the soccer field, purchased about two years ago by the city, would be somewhere other than city property.
In that sense, it is considered somewhat of a pilot program for future use by other school districts, as well as the Fox Valley Park District.
“This is the first time it’s not on city property,” said Simon Rodriguez, Youth Services director for the city.
He said the city started by offering a lease agreement to the city’s two biggest school districts, East Aurora and West Aurora. East took the city up on its offer, West did not, Rodriguez said.
The city started the portable soccer field as a pilot program several years ago by renting one, and putting it up in Phillips Park on the East Side, and Lincoln Park on the West Side.
Because of the success and the popularity of the field, the Youth Services division suggested the city buy one of its own two years ago. The purchase was made with a grant the city received from the state.
Since then, the city has set it up at city parks, most recently at Garfield Park. The portable soccer field, when set up, looks sort of like a hockey rink.
Rodriguez said depending on how the arrangement with East Aurora works out, the city will offer the lease agreement to the four other school districts that serve Aurora residents: Indian Prairie, Oswego, Batavia and Kaneland.
Rodriguez also said the city will consider leasing the field to Fox Valley Park District property, too.
slord@tribpub.com
