Above: The Riverview soccer field is still waiting on landscaping, turf and a parking lot.

by Kelsey Shea

Observatory Hill could have the soccer field it’s been waiting for more than 10 years by the end of this month.

The City has evened the ground, installed lights and built a retaining wall and bathrooms at the site of the future Riverview Soccer Field on Mairdale Avenue. If all goes well, the City will have an official ribbon cutting by the end of October.

“We really want to make a splash,” said Pittsburgh Director of Operations Duane Ashley, who wants to celebrate the completion of the long-awaited project with some style.

The project to build a soccer field and recreation center behind Perry High School began in 2003 after a study showed that there were too few soccer fields within City limits.

After an official ground breaking ceremony in October 2010, the project faced complications due to industrial waste deposit on the field’s site.

The community center that was planned to accompany the field has been put on hold, due to changing mayoral administration. Though the City installed a small building at the site to provide storage and bathroom facilities.

According to Ashley, the last major tasks include a final fine grading of the field surface and the installation of sports netting and turf for the field.

The carpet is scheduled to be delivered the first week of October and will take roughly 10 days to install.

Some landscaping and maintenance work around the field has yet to be completed as well. The parking lot needs to be paved, the plaza area needs to be developed and a nearby pond needs to be drained.