Thursday’s Springfield City Club hosted a pitch for an indoor track in Glenwood. Dubbed a ‘pre-presentation’ because there isn’t a definite site yet, organizers feel positive about their prospects.
A new nonprofit, the Springfield Community Development Corporation, has created a design based on the indoor track at Liberty University in Virginia. Kari Westlund of Travel Lane County says it’s the Springfield City Council’s number one project:
Westlund: “I think they recognize the potential for a project that brings visitor spending and economic impact but also serves residents of all ages, and ties in to that internationally renowned Track Town legacy.”
Westlund says famed coach Bill Bowerman lived in Springfield, and star athlete Steve Prefontaine in Glenwood. The proposal features a hydraulic, banked track that can be flattened for other sport and non-sport purposes. Presenters said their aggressive goal is to break ground before the World Track and Field Championships in August, 2021.
