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The stipulates that the city will be responsible for paying for and overseeing a project to install a turf field at Falcon Park, home of Auburn's Minor League Baseball franchise, the Auburn Doubledays, and the college will be responsible for paying the city rent to use the facility, which will cover the cost the city will incur for the renovations and other operating costs. Over the life of the 20 year contract, the college will make around $6 million in payments to the city. 

In July, the city council approved a $3 million bond to finance the turf project. However, most  the city has received from contractors came in significantly lower than that amount. 

The college called a special meeting for Wednesday afternoon in order to vote on the agreement. Before the public vote, the board entered into an executive session to discuss the contract. Then, all six of the board members present voted to approve the contract. 

Before the board members casted their vote, college President Brian Durant stressed that the college has done "more than our due diligence" when it came to exploring opportunities to build or rent athletic facilities on and off campus.

"Ultimately we want to be able to provide our students and our faculty and staff the modern facilities they deserve and be able to have the best experience possible," Durant said. "We've been able to do something creative here with the city to leverage such a tremendous asset in Falcon Park." 

Last year, the college commissioned a study to determine the feasibility of building a 150,000-square-foot multi-use turf athletic complex on campus. The whole project, including reconstructing the parking lot and walkways, building a clubhouse, pressbox and field, was estimated to cost nearly $15 million. Just the turf field would have been around $4.5 million, according to a copy of the study conducted by Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture and SWBR Architects. 

After the meeting, Durant said he was pleased with the contract the city and college were able to negotiate, as well as the construction bids the city received for the project.  

"I think government and higher education working together over the last several months has been a great example of not only sharing services, not only working collaboratively together but ultimately getting ourselves to a point where we are being financially responsible and have a real opportunity here to make a positive community impact, both for our students and the greater city at large," Durant said.

Durant said the college's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams, men's baseball and even the women's softball team will be able to practice and play games at Falcon Park. He said the college is working to restart its lacrosse program and more information about that will be announced in the coming weeks. 

"The board of trustees has been tremendously supportive of this endeavor," Durant said. "We all know the value that this opportunity can bring us and certainly we all have a vision to be able to enhance what we do here at the college and are looking to increase opportunities for student athletes and for future students to be able to continue their involvement with intercollegiate athletics." 

The Auburn City Council is set to vote on the agreement during its Oct. 11 meeting. Thursday, city staff will present the agreement to the council and answer any questions or concerns they may have. All four councilors and the mayor have previously voiced their support for the project.