Could Empty Downtown Buildings Become Indoor Soccer Fields?

My daughter has been in competitive soccer for a few years now, and there's something painfully obvious: we don't have enough fields. The Northland has so many soccer teams and organizations that sometimes we are forced to drive to the outskirts of town, late at night, just to get an outdoor field space.

Lack Of Fields + Facilities Creates Late Night Practices

Last night, my niece had practice in Proctor from 9-10 pm. Think about that, a Sunday night, from 9-10 pm. I asked why it was so late, and she said that's the only time they can get time on the field.

Why don't we find an investor or someone who could convert some of this empty downtown space into indoor soccer fields or practice areas? We've already got the parking infrastructure downtown. It would bring more people downtown. It's centrally located in the Twin Ports. It would be much easier and cheaper to convert a floor of a building into an indoor practice space than it would be to convert it to housing. (Which is still a great idea, by the way.)

Empty Buildings For Sale Downtown

There's a lot of empty space downtown that could be used for something. Some spaces are being remodeled as residential apartments, but that's a big project. Buildings like the Wells Fargo building (which closed this branch months ago), are for sale. This building's entire 9th floor is empty.

Would You Pay For The Convenience?

I'd be willing to pitch in a little more money to the sports fees if that meant more opportunities for my student athletes. I definitely pay some kind of rental fee if that meant we didn't have soccer practice at 9 pm on a Sunday.