Ribbon-cutting for Marion’s new Hanna Park soccer mini-pitch is 4 p.m. today

MARION - Soccer enthusiasts, Chamber ambassadors, city leaders and project partners will gather on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to celebrate the completion of the Hanna Park soccer mini-pitch. The event will take place at Hanna Park, 775 Fairview Dr., Marion.

In June, Marion was selected as one of 10 sites in Iowa to receive a soccer mini-pitch as part of a unique $1 million statewide effort between Pro Iowa, Kick It Forward and Musco Lighting to design and construct 10 mini-pitches in seven Iowa cities and expand soccer interest across the state.

“These mini-pitches offer the opportunity to rejuvenate abandoned courts or areas with limited space, creating a fun and active place that makes the game of soccer accessible to communities across our state,” said Pro Iowa’s Kyle Davy.

Mini-pitches are smaller soccer pitches that sometimes are hard-surfaced and surrounded by a rebound wall, similar to hockey, and allow for a constant state of faster game play.

The mini-pitch, the only facility of its kind in the Cedar Rapids metro area, has been installed at Hanna Park in Marion as part of a series of upgrades to the park, which sustained major damage in the derecho.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for Marion,” said Parks and Recreation Director Seth Staashelm. “It expands our recreational offerings and breathes new life into one of our community’s oldest parks.”