The City of Wichita Parks and Recreation Department was determined to make Wichita a destination location for local and regional youth sports in the great state of Kansas.
“The complex went from only one field, to now more than 10 multipurpose fields that will bring events to Wichita that normally would have passed us by,” Principal-In-Charge and TESSERE President Matt Cortez said. “The complex gets the city closer to realizing their goal of becoming a destination point for all indoor and outdoor sports, and not be overlooked due to facility demands.”
To achieve this dream, the department set its sights on revitalizing the 17-year-old Stryker Soccer Complex. The team that brought this 22-million-dollar project to life consisted of TESSERE Architecture, DLR Group, GSI Engineering, MKEC Engineering, Dondlinger Construction, Crossland Construction, FSC Inc, and Greteman Group.
“This champion style complex is in operation 350 days a year for sports such as soccer, lacrosse, football, and different types of clinics,” Cortez said. “I’m amazed to see the different types of functions the complex can serve and the people that travel to Wichita to participate or attend sporting events. This means they are spending money, staying, and shopping in Wichita with their families. It’s a win-win for the city and the Star Bond program.”
The Stryker Complex houses an improved 112,000 square-foot state-of-the-art indoor facility, named the Tommy Peckham Championship Field, which can be used as one full-sized field or two multi-sport fields. TESSERE Architecture provided design services for the amenities like a freestanding ticket booth, new concession stand, main entrance, restrooms, new press box, and two changing rooms for the teams participating in the Championship Stadium. To improve the seating needs for the expansion, additional bleachers were added which can seat 3,000 more spectators. The indoor facility wasn’t the only area of the Stryker Complex that received updating; all 11 sport fields were outfitted to be turf fields that could accommodate all sports.
Construction of the multiple fields in a tight space provided a logistical challenge. Good communication, navigation, and coordination of materials and equipment between project leaders and construction teams were critical to the project’s success.
The Stryker Complex was officially completed in 2019, and the dedication ceremony was held on June 4, 2021.
“It was a great partnership to work with Tymber Lee, the City of Wichita, and the entire group to provide this quality project to the community,” Cortez said.
