ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The goal at Bernard Halpern park in Doraville is showcasing the game of soccer.
Nearly every day, people show up to play on these small fields, known as mini pitches, but they haven’t always looked good.
Crystal Dawson is the assistant city manager who has been working on this project and said the turf was damaged last year after a tree fell on the field.
“To come up on the finished product is like wow, this is beautiful,” Dawson said.
And just like that, the city scored big after receiving a grant from the Atlanta United Community Fund to build new mini pitches statewide. Two of those fields have now been completed in Doraville.
“I think it‘s phenomenal. I think it looks so much better and it sends the message to our residents that, ’hey, we saw where you were playing, and we matched it to what you needed,‘” Dawson said.
And just in time for the World Cup in 2026, Doraville residents are able to get their game at the park in first class fashion.
“They see what we’re doing, they see that we care, they see that we’re investing in them, and I think that makes them feel like this is home and that this is a special place for them,” Doraville Communications Coordinator Emily Heenan said.
City leaders said they intend to apply for more grant funding. They want to build and renovate more mini pitches in the community.
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