A dozen community members, including San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) board member Scott Barnett, heard a progress update Sept. 14 on the proposed transformation of the underutilized field space at Correia Middle School into a multi-field community athletic complex. The project, which would provide practice and game fields to schools and community groups on the Peninsula, has been dubbed the “athletic master plan.” Still in the planning stages, three different proposals were presented for consideration by audience members, including representatives of local schools, sports programs and the nearby Peninsula YMCA. The group was given a cost range, depending on options, that range from $6.9 million to $9 million. Because this project is not a part of the SDUSD’s new, massive Proposition S school upgrade bond, the project would have to rely on other funding sources.  Jim Watts, director of facilities planning and construction for SDUSD, showed detailed site plans prepared by LPA, Inc., a company that has been assisting the district with the project. Each plan touted differing field alignments and a varying number of parking spaces. As a result of previous meetings and through online opinion gathering, proponents found the community’s most highly desired features at a future Correia complex were multiple-use field space for soccer, football, lacrosse and field hockey events, with seating for spectators, continued use of an existing baseball field at the site and night lighting. SDUSD officials would add a two-story tutoring center on the Valeta Street side of the property that would have team rooms and permanent restroom facilities on the ground floor with a computer-equipped teaching space on the second floor. The structure would be about 4,200 square feet. Watts said the higher $9 million price tag would include synthetic turf on all fields — an option the SDUSD prefers and one seemingly shared by those in attendance at the Sept.14 meeting. The Correia site is not scheduled for Prop. S improvements until 2017 and the 10 Point Loma cluster schools (Point Loma High, Correia and Dana Middle seven elementary schools) are scheduled for another $52 million in improvements that have not yet been started, Watts said. One funding option, Watts said, would be for each of the 10 cluster schools to give a percentage of their future Proposition S funds to the athletic master plan. This option would, however, be in lieu of some planned improvements at each campus. Barnett, a project advocate who represents the district’s beach-area schools, was quick to point out that no schools will be forced to pay for the athletic master plan project. He added that the district is in preliminary discussions about closing a number of school campuses in San Diego as a cost-saving measure. If a school in the Point Loma cluster were to close, Barnett said the school board would mandate that site’s Prop. S funding remain within the cluster. Meeting participants urged the district to consider a large retaining wall along the Famosa Boulevard side of the property that would free up significant space for additional parking. Also, it was suggested the city could assist by adding more badly needed parking spaces at adjacent Cleator Park. Donations from youth sports programs and gifts from local benefactors were also suggested. “We want a facility that is safe and well-received by the community,” Barnett said. “We want to be good neighbors.” Watts said district officials will further revise the plans to include feedback from this latest meeting as the project moves forward.