There is potential for a new outdoor sports park to be developed at the Monklands Soccer Fields.

Located between Ralph McCall School and Monklands Soccer Fields, the plot of land has gone unused for the past six years.

After city council approved the preliminary application at the council meeting on Monday, June 6, Parks is now open to develop plans for what they would like to put into that space.

Mark Spence, Senior Planner with the City of Airdrie Planning and Development, said it would be a good idea for a new multi-use sports court to go in there.

"What they want to do is create a nice rink for the winter and in the summer, it converts to tennis courts or basketball courts."

According to Spence, city council had their minds already set for that piece of land.

"It seemed like more a formality to go through the land use change because council already have their minds set, I think, because they're already starting to approve a budget for Parks to do something there. The zoning just kind of clears the way for that."

Originally, that plot of land was set aside for a multi-family residential area, although Spence said that would be intrusive on Ralph McCall and 1st Ave wouldn't be able to support the influx of traffic that complex would bring in.

"If you added 30-60 units right in the middle of that for morning traffic when people were trying to get out, it would've been an absolute nightmare."

Since a space for low income housing has been set aside in a different part of the city, Airdrie Parks has had it's eye on the space in Monklands for a new outdoor sports area.

It is still up in the air as to when Parks will begin formally planning the construction of the new area.