Cape Girardeau Parks and Rec Department hosts groundbreaking for new Youth Outdoor Sports Complex

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Local Parks and Recreation Officials of Cape Girardeau marked a big step forward today as they hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a youth complex.

The ceremony took place at 12:00 pm om Friday July 25, 2025.

Many community members and city leaders attended including Cape Girardeau’s Mayor Stacey Kinder to support the building of a new multimillion dollar Youth Outdoor Sports Complex.

Scott Williams is the Recreation Division Manager. He says the need for additional fields has been evident for several years as they’ve been limited on the number of tournaments they can hold with their current 8 fields. Additionally, the new facility will have turf fields making practice and games still possible during the rainy season.

“The groundbreaking today at the Shawnee Parks Sports Complex is the expansion of our footprint in Cape Girardeau” says Williams. “We’re adding 5 additional youth baseball and softball fields geared for youth baseball and softball leagues and sports tourism tournaments.”  

Williams shares that by being able to host more tournaments it will bring more people to the area leaving a community impact economically.

“All tied together Cape Girardeau is blessed with having the support of the community that’s passed all these projects that do promote tourism and bring people into town that has tourism, restaurant, retail and all kinds of service impact when they come to town” says Williams.  

They broke ground for the project today and when it’s done there will 5 brand new turf fields for citizens of all ages to utilize.

Doug Gannon is the Parks and Rec Director in Cape Girardeau. He shares how the project is being funded. 

“The Parks and Recreation Storm Water Tax was passed by the citizens of Cape Girardeau in 2018″ says Gannon.” There was a number of projects that were identified as part of a PRS tax. One of them was a youth sports complex which you see behind us today. So, the funding is coming from that tax which was passed in 2018 by the citizens of Cape Girardeau, and it will set in 2033.” 

The project is estimated to be done by April of 2026.