Soccer field planned inside old Rolling Meadows factory

A private youth soccer club plans to convert an old manufacturing building in Rolling Meadows into an indoor soccer field.

Park Ridge-based Legion FC Chicago has proposed upgrading an eastern 8,636-square-foot portion of a 24,820-square-foot building at 3660 Edison Place for a practice field that would be used by children 14 and younger.

The large indoor field, and an adjoining smaller warm-up field, would get most play in the fall and winter months as temperatures fall and young athletes need warmer places to practice, officials said.

But no competitive games are planned - only hourlong practice sessions on nights and weekends - because of parking and traffic concerns in and around the site, which is located in a light manufacturing area west of Rohlwing Road.

Representatives for Legion FC said there wouldn't be many cars on site for any of the training sessions, because participants are not legal driving age. And parents won't be allowed to attend the practices - only pick up and drop off their kids.

With that and other requirements spelled out in a list of eight conditions in mind, the city council Tuesday night agreed to give the soccer club special use permission to operate the indoor athletic facility and grant a variation to reduce the number of required parking spaces on site from 44 to 21.

But should the proposed one-way, counterclockwise site circulation not be properly managed, or parking not be enough, city officials warned they could revoke the special use and shut the facility down.

The club says it doesn't plan to expand into the west side of the building or use a few rooms on the east side, but if it does, it would have to come back to the city to seek additional relief from parking requirements.

The maximum number of people on site at any given time, including two coaches, is expected to be 20, according to the club.

The city's comprehensive plan suggests the area remain light manufacturing but acknowledges that adaptive reuse of some buildings is needed.

Legion FC currently has eight teams with 100 players, and each team trains twice a week.

The city council's 4-0 second reading ordinance approval Tuesday came after initial review and recommendation by the plan commission on a 4-1 vote on May 3.