Business & Tech

Lilburn Soccer Academy Being Renovated, Purchase Near

The Soccer Academy, located on Arcado Road, is expected to join the Atlanta Eagles Sports Center, which has two soccer facilities in the metro area.

Eight months after owners of The Soccer Academy put it for sale, a buyer is on the horizon and renovations are in progress.

Elmer Pineda, the chief executive officer of Atlanta Eagles Sports Center, recently told Patch that his company is planning to purchase the 6.8-acre site on Arcado Road.

"We have a pre-agreement in place to purchase the facility in a few months," he said.

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Currently, Atlanta Eagles Sports Center is the administrator of The Soccer Academy. If all goes well, the Lilburn facility will join two others owned by Atlanta Eagles Sports Center -- one in Atlanta and another in Doraville.

Pineda said he was looking to expand his company. Specifically, there was a need for full-size soccer fields for their soccer academy.

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"We were looking for an outdoor fields, and The Soccer Academy was the perfect place because is well-recognized in the community," he said.  

In the meantime, the Lilburn soccer facility is undergoing renovations, which includes synthetic turf on the back fields, a new lighting system and upgrades to the indoor fields. Pineda hopes the renovations will be completed by the beginning of the summer.

Pineda said he could not talk about the purchase price of the facility, and that the estimated cost of renovations is unknown at this point.

"We are not a big company with a big budget," he added. "We are trying to do most of the labor ourselves to save money."

When the renovations are completed, Pineda said he plans a grand re-opening, but The Soccer Academy is still open throughout the process.

When it does re-open, Pineda said he plans to continue working with youth, as well as having adult leagues for women and men.

He knows the history of Lilburn academy, and wants to help keep it going. It opened nearly 30 years ago as part of a dream of famed soccer coach Michael "Mike" Balson to revolutionize indoor soccer in Gwinnett County, and in Georgia. It was the first of its kind around.

Now, instead of being sold to make way for a different type of business, it seems The Soccer Academy's will be saved -- albeit revamped with new owners.

Pineda said: "I know that this place has been part of the history of many Lilburn residents so I think they will be happy to see this happen."

See also:

  • Home of Lilburn Soccer Academy is for Sale

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