The Eudora City Commission gave city staff direction Monday to pursue with the Eudora school district the development of a soccer complex at the high school/middle school campus.

The commission’s consensus to move forward with that location came at the conclusion of a work session on the city’s options to replace soccer fields that will be lost with the redevelopment of the Nottingham property the city purchased from the school district. The city is now seeking requests for proposals from developers for the 15-acre site, which includes the old Nottingham Elementary School and old football stadium. The city’s goal is to name a developer of the property on March 29.

At the work session, Doug Pickert of Indigo Design shared three different options to develop a soccer field complex. The options were updates of those included in an existing Eudora Parks Master Plan, he said.

One of the options would locate the soccer fields between Eudora High School and Middle School; the other two options would add soccer fields at Eudora Elementary School near the existing softball park complex.

The high school/middle school option would add three 47-by-75-yard soccer fields, three 25-by-55-yard fields and four 20-by-30-yard fields to undeveloped space south of the high school parking lot and east of the track-and-field event venue. The update Pickert presented found space for two additional 47-by-75-yard fields, which could be added to meet future demand. The option would also have a shelter and restrooms.

The option had the benefit of being cheaper than the two alternatives at the elementary school with an estimated cost of $847,263. That included $100,000 for the two additional fields.

Helping to keep costs down on the middle school/high school site was its use of existing parking in the high school lot and sidewalks.

Although not extremely sloped, the site would have to be leveled, Pickert said. Irrigation would also be added.

The updates Pickert shared of the elementary school options would both add a 300-foot softball diamond east of the existing complex. One of the options at the elementary school would add two 47-by-75-yard fields, three of the 25-by-55-yard fields and four of the 20-by-30-yard fields on space west of the elementary school parking lot. The estimated cost of that option was $1.35 million.

The other option would add a 282-stall parking lot, which would reduce the number of large fields to two and the intermediate-sized fields to one. Its estimated cost was $1.31 million.

Strengthening the case for the middle school/high school option was the school district’s concern about construction of additional recreational facilities at the elementary school because of the probable future need to expand the school.

“I do see them having to add onto the school,” Commissioner Ruth Hughs said. “We don’t want to spend money like this on facilities we will have to replace.”

With the consensus reached, discussions between the city and school district will continue about developing the sports complex. Pickert said the construction could be completed “relatively quickly,” and with irrigation, one fall or spring growing season would be required to establish field turf.

At the regular meeting before the work session, the commission:

• Approved purchase of a 2016 Ford Police Interceptor SUV from Laird Noller Ford of Lawrence for $26,210. The other bid received was from Shawnee Mission Ford for $26,726.

• Approved a special event request from the autism awareness group Eudora ACES to have a fundraising event for Saturday. The 2 to 4 p.m. fundraiser will include activities in CPA Park and a walk from the park to downtown.