At its April meeting, the board of directors of Invest Atlanta, led by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, voted to approve funding for the construction of a StationSoccer facility at iVillage @ MLK. Invest Atlanta, MARTA, Soccer in the Streets (SITS), Atlanta United Foundation, Local Initiatives Support Corporation(LISC) and other local foundations are partnering on this venture, which will provide access to quality soccer and youth development programs for the community, while also supporting increased traffic and interest in iVillage @ MLK. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in June with a projected opening date in September 2020.

iVillage @ MLK, is the city of Atlanta’s first shipping container village, providing retail and business space to entrepreneurs looking to launch or grow a business. Located at the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA station, iVillage @ MLK was funded with almost $550,000 of Hollowell-ML King TAD (Tax Allocation District) grants allocated by Invest Atlanta and opened to the public in August 2019. Approximately $39,000 in funds from the project were authorized to construct the StationSoccer facility immediately adjacent to the iVillage @ MLK. Invest Atlanta also approved an additional allocation of $11,000 from the Hollowell-ML King TAD tax increment to support infrastructure costs.

SITS is a not-for-profit organization that works to develop young leaders so they can lead rich lives and cultivate healthy communities through sports-based youth development. It serves over 5,000 youth through partnership programs with Atlanta Public Schools and other civic groups. Founded in 1989 in Atlanta, the organization reaches kids through soccer play, work-readiness training, hands-on experiential activities, and participation in youth leadership councils. The initiative is gaining worldwide recognition for its ‘StationSoccer’ initiative – which builds soccer fields and community classrooms in and around metro transit hubs.