Local teams expect to lose three FAU campus soccer fields by 2030. A new city deal has the park district build replacement fields at Countess de Hoernle Park.

Countess de Hoernle Park is set to get more athletic fields. They would replace three soccer fields on the Florida Atlantic University campus that local teams expect to lose by 2030.

The City Council approved a new agreement with the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District on Sept. 22, the city’s meeting recap says. It sets out how the park’s second phase will be planned, paid for, built and run. Under the deal, the district pays to build the expansion and the city runs it.

Why the fields are moving

For decades the district has worked with FAU so community programs can use fields on campus, a memo from City Manager Mark Sohaney says. Those are the FAU varsity soccer field and the Glades Road soccer fields. The memo says local youth and adult soccer and other organized sports use them.

In June 2025 the district board discussed losing access to the three fields by 2030. The memo says FAU needs them for student recreation.

District and city staff then picked Countess de Hoernle Park as the new home for the fields. The memo gives the reasons:

  • the park already has lights, parking and long opening hours
  • it is an existing public park with its own infrastructure
  • the city’s new maintenance facility is next door

What Phase II would include

The city’s recap lists the planned expansion as:

  • more athletic fields
  • more parking
  • restrooms
  • a playground
  • sidewalks and other site work

The memo says the final scope and layout will be set during concept planning and design. No cost, design or construction dates were given. The memo adds that a road link to Banyan Trail may be added. If it is, the city and the district would agree then on who pays for it.

Who pays and who runs it

The agreement updates a 2011 deal between the two. That deal paid for the park’s existing facilities, now called Phase I. The district still funds the building work and the city runs the park day to day. The main terms:

  • The district manages Phase II, gets the permits, hires the contractor and pays the construction costs.
  • The city reviews the concept plan and the bid documents before construction is bid.
  • Running costs are billed to the district each year. Fees the park collects are used to cut that bill, and park ranger security is now listed as a running cost.
  • Scheduling stays with the city. District residents get the same service as city residents.
  • Either side can end the agreement at the end of a fiscal year with notice.

The memo says the city does not expect any net cost from the deal, for building or for running the park.

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes on the fields yet. The FAU fields stay in use for now, and Phase II still needs a concept plan, a design and a construction contract.
  • Sports families should watch the district. It controls the schedule, the bidding and the budget for the new fields.
  • The park stays open. Countess de Hoernle Park still hosts city events, including the Howl-O-Ween dog party on Saturday, Oct. 24. See our Halloween events guide and parks and trails guide.
  • Read the agreement. The memo, the resolution and the full agreement are in Resolution 119-2026.