Ground Breaking Ceremony Held for Marion County's Rotary Sportsplex Turf Field Conversion

Marion County Parks & Recreation hosted a groundbreaking ceremony today at the Rotary Sportsplex in Ocala, marking the start of an exciting new project to enhance the facility. The event brought together Parks & Recreation leadership, Congresswoman Kat Cammack, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, as well as members of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Council and the Ocala/Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership.

Rotary Sportsplex, an 80-acre facility, is home to the Ocala Rotary Sportsplex Baseball League and Big Sun Soccer, our community’s premier soccer league. Featuring eleven lighted baseball fields and five soccer fields, the park generates millions of dollars in economic impact for Marion County each year—a number expected to grow with these upcoming improvements.

“This project has already generated incredible excitement, even before construction has begun,” said Jim Couillard, director of Parks & Recreation, “This really is a game-changer for our community."

The project includes converting two soccer fields from natural grass to synthetic turf, making Rotary Sportsplex the first public park in Marion County with synthetic turf fields. Additional upgrades will include:

• A newly paved parking lot
• A new pavilion
• Stadium bleachers with shade structures
• New LED field lighting
• Various other facility enhancements

This project is a joint effort between the county commission and the Tourism Development Council. Once completed, it will expand access to high-quality sports fields, improve player safety, reduce environmental impacts, and lower operating costs.

For more information, contact Marion County Parks & Recreation at 352-671-8560 or Parks@MarionFL.org.