Adán Gonzalez stands in the middle of a two-acre construction site in Oak Cliff, the downtown Dallas skyline visible in the distance. What started as a gravel patch will soon be a permanent fixture in the community as the neighborhood's new soccer plaza.
Puede Network, the community nonprofit Gonzalez founded, teamed up with FIFA to build the plaza, set to open just as the World Cup tournament begins.
“You'll have the fields that we'll be able to use for our practices, and we're also gonna be able host tournaments and leagues," Gonzalez said.
During the upcoming World Cup tournament, the complex will be a site for events as part of FIFA’s Legacy Program, an initiative to build things like public art installations and soccer fields in host cities — to last even after the tournament ends.
“It's a huge community effort," Gonzalez said. "There's so many things that can be innovative out of this project.”
There won’t just be soccer games at the plaza. Gonzalez and his team plan to build pickleball courts, a learning center and a space for food trucks. The first phase of the project will have the soccer pitches ready for the global tournament.
Mariela Estrada is with Marcer Construction, the construction company building the plaza. She said the idea for the project started when the North Texas World Cup organizing committee reached out about the legacy program.
She thought of the lot next to the company’s offices owned by Dallas Area Rapid Transit that sat unused for years.
“We'd see the kids practicing in the parking lot sometimes, going up and down the hill of the parking lot that we have and said, ‘why don't we use this and turn it into something incredible?’" Estrada said. "Something that they can use for a long time."
Her father, Raul Estrada, said as soon as FIFA reached out, he wanted to build on the momentum of the World Cup.
“We'd have to do it like quickly because we, you know, we'd want to take advantage of the FIFA association in order to get things done,” he said.
Soon after meeting with FIFA, he founded Gateway Soccer Plaza LLC, a company that’s leasing the property from DART. Workers broke ground in early May.
Dallas City Council member Chad West represents the district where the plaza is being built. When Estrada approached him about the project, West made sure it had the city’s backing.
“This is one of the fastest redevelopments I've ever seen," West said. "What's incredible about it is it's not just the city. It's also involved with DART and multiple departments within the city of Dallas.”
The plaza will be managed by the Puede Network to give local kids opportunities for growth and education.
“They're doing community service themselves in our community," Gonzalez said. "We're not waiting for anybody to come rescue us. They're building that pride in their own neighborhood.”
Ayden Maldonado, 14, said he's looking forward to playing on the new soccer field as soon as it’s built.
“For me it means a lot because it's a safe place to make better opportunities," Maldonado said. "I'm going to be a referee there, I'm gonna practice there with my friends and communities, so it's just really good for me."
Gonzalez said the money made from events at the new plaza will go to helping more kids like Maldonado. The nonprofit will rent out the fields for games and practices as well as space for food trucks.
The Common Grounds Soccer Plaza is slated for completion in early June – just days before the World Cup begins.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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