SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va.—Ground was broken on a state-of-the-art 128-acre Summersville recreational complex last week. The new Summersville Athletic Complex will host soccer fields, mountain biking, hiking trails, and much more.
Summersville mayor Robert Shafer was excited about the project and promised the local community that more was yet to come.
“We’re going to build a state-of-the-art complex, it’s going to include many things, but we’re doing it primarily for the youth,” Shafer says. “The bonus to it is that it’s going to be another attraction that will help us with our core economics, and that’s tourism.”
The sports complex will feature a baseball/softball field, basketball, pickleball, and dog park, along with 128 acres of walking trails throughout the property. Shafer says the city is financing the construction project with up to $12 million in bonds which will eventually be paid back.
“We’ve not been really lucky to get state and federal money to support us, so we’re going to bite the bullet and do it ourselves, at least initially,” he says. “We’ll always continue to look for additional money.”
Construction on the new Summersville athletic complex will begin in the fall and is slated for completion in mid-to-late 2026
