City manager: soccer fields design underway, Bacon Dairy CDBG demolition has begun; retail recruitment RFQs under review

City Manager Scott Collins told the Shelbyville City Council that the city’s planned soccer fields project is moving into design and environmental review and that officials expect the project timeline to span less than two years, with staff estimating completion near 2027 depending on weather and other factors.

Collins also reported that demolition work began last week on the Bacon Dairy Street project, a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)–funded initiative. He said the project is moving forward in construction.

On economic development, Collins said the city had received two responses to a retail recruitment RFQ: Retail Coach and Retail Strategist. He said a review committee will meet in August to evaluate the proposals and that the firms offer retail recruitment services to help attract businesses to Shelbyville.

Why it matters: The soccer fields project and the Bacon Dairy CDBG project involve public land use and city capital or federal block-grant funds and will affect parks, neighborhoods and local contractors. The retail recruitment RFQ process could shape the city’s approach to attracting commercial investment.

Discussion vs. decision: The manager’s report was informational; the council did not take action to change the projects’ scopes during the meeting. Council members acknowledged the reports but did not ask for detailed amendments at this session.

Details: Collins described the soccer-fields timeline as “less than a two year project” but said weather and other factors could extend the schedule. He identified demolition as having started on the Bacon Dairy Street CDBG project the previous week and confirmed that all council members and staff had received copies of project materials and RFQ responses for review.