As part of the strategic imperatives shared earlier this year, Loudoun Soccer is exploring a transition from Loudoun Soccer Park (LSP) to advance the long-term goals of the Club and its community.

In examining our goals ahead of our 2025 “World Class by World Cup” strategic imperative, leadership evaluated every aspect of Club operations. Given the significant county-wide growth over the past decade, field access and LSP capacity was identified as a priority. While LSP’s centralized location in Leesburg is ideal, rapid population growth and new housing developments across Loudoun County have created an added need for fields in other geographical areas. This transition will allow us to invest in new and improved facilities where they are now most needed. This strategy will help us realize our strategic vision of sustained Club growth and expanded programming throughout the region.

When LSP opened in 2012, it marked the first and only lighted turf soccer facility in Loudoun County, responding to an unmet market demand for a facility that enabled our players to practice and compete under all conditions. As such, LSP represented a critical investment that enabled the Club’s explosive growth in the years following.

Over the last decade, the market landscape has shifted:

• Loudoun County has developed multiple lighted turf sites County-wide;
• The Loudoun County school system, churches, and other private entities have also developed lighted turf space;
• Loudoun Soccer Park’s landlocked location made further expansion at the site impossible;
• Necessary improvements to bring the current facility up to standard were impractical;
• The Club’s equity in Loudoun Soccer Park increased substantially.

The Club responded to these market changes by reevaluating the Park’s role in achieving our strategic imperatives, particularly since over the years, we have received several unsolicited bids for the property. 

These offers accelerated in 2023, prompting leadership to engage a commercial real estate broker to professionally evaluate the offers received. JK Land Holdings emerged from that process as the most ideal partner for the transaction, resulting in the agreement currently in place.

Our partner in the potential transition is JK Land Holdings, a well-respected family-owned entity with a long-standing business and family relationship with the Club. Earlier this year, we signed a Letter of Intent spelling out the conditions of a sale in advance of a binding agreement. JK is currently investigating whether they can rezone the property for their purposes.

JK seeks approval for light industrial/warehouse development only; they are prevented by contract from developing a data center, or to use the site as a sports facility. If approved, the space will be rezoned as flex industrial warehouse space, in keeping with other property development on Sycolin Road.

The purchase is abandoned and the Club continues business as usual; however, a sale will remain a viable prospect for supporting the long-term vision of the Club.

Not planned until 2029. During the settlement process, the Club will continue to operate LSP as usual for the next several years. If the proposed rezoning is approved, based on current permitting and contractual timelines, settlement should be reached sometime in 2028. 

Additionally, JK has offered the Club the option to remain onsite for up to a year post-settlement, pushing our “move-out” date to sometime in 2029. Throughout this process, we will continue to maintain the facility to our usual high standards, including a complete turf replacement.

At the heart of the Club’s “World Class by World Cup” initiative is our commitment to our players and our community. This transition serves our membership by providing a pathway to:

Investment in Our People and Programs: With an increase in financial resources and flexibility, we will be able to invest more in our programs and staff, directly benefitting players through increased quality in coaching and support.

Community Partnerships: We will collaborate with stakeholders to upgrade current county facilities, and explore opportunities for new public/private partnerships to help ensure access to quality venues for our players.

Sustaining Critical Programs: We intend to establish endowments that focus on player and community success, including:

Financial Assistance Program: A dedicated funding source will ensure that players at every level can participate in soccer, regardless of their economic circumstances.

Community Programs: We will expand access to soccer instruction through initiatives such as:

• TOPSoccer: A program designed for players with special needs.
• After School Programs: Targeting players in Title 1 schools.
• Volunteer Coach Education: Enhancing resources for our Recreational coaches to better serve our players.
• Pre-School Programming: Providing early entry points for our youngest athletes.

Modern Facilities: We will create state-of-the-art staff spaces, including classrooms, conference rooms, and storage areas, to help ensure our staff and coaches have the resources they need to support our players effectively. Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of indoor training areas to provide players with year-round access to practice spaces.

These investments will help us realize our strategic vision of sustained Club growth and expanded programming throughout the region.

In addition to establishing a professional office facility, with space for team meetings, equipment storage, potential Field/Training space, and other Club-related functions, we recognize the need for a “home field” experience on the pitch. We intend to provide a “Loudoun Soccer” experience no matter where in the county we play. 

For now, we hurry up and wait! This process is a long one, coming to completion more than four years from now. Should rezoning be approved and a contract ratified, Loudoun Soccer will look to transition into a new office space prior to 2029, with the current facility space at LSP repurposed for team meetings, equipment storage, and coaching needs.

During this time, we will continue to maintain the Park to our high standards, with a focus on re-turfing the current fields and updating facilities to sustain a top-quality experience at the Park.

Over the next 4 years, we look forward to exploring possibilities for growth, armed with the knowledge and resources to allow us to invest into the facilities in the County and into our member experience. The decisions in 2012 to purchase and build a mission critical facility will benefit us for many years to come as we gain equity to make the future even brighter.