New park, decades in the making, now open at East Washington St.

A decades-long effort to build a new sports park near end of East Washington Street marked a major milestone on Friday as cleats dug in for the first trio of games held at the long-awaited facility.

A coalition representing leaders in Petaluma government and sports, regional open space preservation and construction came together to celebrate the opening, with three completed artificial turf fields representing the first phase of construction.

Against a backdrop of players warming up for their events, Bill Bertolucci, president of the Petaluma Youth Soccer League, joined a chorus of voices that described the fields as sorely needed assets for the city’s thriving sports community.

“Now, for our youth to have something like this, this is unbelievable,” he said.

Back in 2007, the Petaluma City Council first approved plans for the 25-acre site. Expected to cost a total of $23 million, the proposal included three artificial turf fields striped for lacrosse and soccer, three natural turf baseball fields, a BMX track and other amenities.

The project remained a priority even as the city faced a constriction of available funding during the recent recession, said Scott Brodhun, Petaluma’s assistant city manager. The city ultimately adopted a phased approach with the initial $6.15 million project funded by a $2 million grant from the Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space District, developer impact fees and a parks-related grant.

The city is conducting its final project accounting, which may reflect enough savings to allow immediate construction of a bathroom and concession facility, Brodhun said.

A third field built during the first phase was made possible due to savings in the bidding process for construction. Full funding for the remaining park elements has yet to be identified.

Kevin McDonnell, a current coach and past president of Petaluma Youth Soccer League, said the facilities are likely to have a beneficial impact on fields throughout Petaluma.

“This takes some of the stress off of the other parks, less wear and tear,” said McDonnell, a longtime supporter of the project. “It doesn’t matter what your skills are. If you’re 18 and have been playing soccer for ten years, you need a place like this.”

Talk of a sports facility at the site arose as early as 1989, when a private developer began negotiations with the city for a lease to construct the so-called Redwood Empire Sportsplex, or RESA.

Some initial grading took place following the granting of a lease in 2003, but much work was left to be done by the time the city resumed control of the property in 2006.

David Rabbitt, current Sonoma County supervisor and former Petaluma city councilman, recounted the disappointment that followed the collapse of the RESA project and the community involvement during the city’s efforts to move forward with the project.

“We thought this property had great potential,” said Rabbitt, who has coached both soccer and baseball. “What a great asset to have in our community.”

City Councilwoman Kathy Miller thanked a range of current and former city officials, along with the sports community, for their efforts on the project.

“We have lots of soccer and lacrosse players that have waited for this for a long, long time,” she said.

As players begin to take advantage of the new facility, Brodhun, the assistant city manager, said there is one notable loose end.

“We’re not going to rush to name it,” he said. “This is a beautiful facility. We want to get it right.”

Napa-based landscape architecture firm Gretchen Stranzl McCann designed the site with construction by Ghilotti Bros. of San Rafael.

(Contact Eric Gneckow at eric.gneckow@arguscouri er.com.)