Southeast Missouri State University hopes to enhance student life and increase tournament opportunities with a three-phase project to develop the area surrounding the Abe Stuber Sports Complex.

L. G. Lauxman, director of student recreational sports, said the university recently began work on the intramural fields located in the triangle at the intersection of Sprigg and Bertling and a new field to be located on the west side of Sloan Creek on Sprigg Street Road. The work is part of a three-phase project included in the campus master plan to develop recreational areas and opportunities for the university, he said.

The massive development project will result in a large recreational complex that includes new off-street parking for 200 vehicles and numerous repairs to the Abe Stuber Sports Complex. Lauxman phase one improvements include grading the fields, installing drainage and irrigation systems and new electrical conduit for a lighting system at the intramural triangle, Lauxman said. Off-street parking lots will also be developed and graveled near the triangle and near Sprigg Street Road during this phase, he said.

In phase two, the parking lots would be completed, and new lighting, backstops, a small concession stand and dressing rooms would be added to the recreational softball triangle. Phase three projects include repairs to the varsity track and relocation of the Henderson Street tennis courts down to an unnamed area in the sports complex.

As yet, there is no completion date projected for phases two and three. Lauxman said phase one projects should be completed by October.

"The fields have to lie dormant for at least one year to give the grass time to grow, so the fields won't be in use until October '98," he said.

Phase one projects have a price tag of about $700,000. Lauxman said funding was provided after students authorized a fee increase of $1 per credit hour to finance the redevelopment of the two recreational softball fields in the triangle and an additional softball field to be built off of Sprigg Street Road.

Funding is not yet in place for the last two phases of the building. Lauxman said students and the Board of Regents must first consider and approve a feasibility study on the projects, then approve the funding needed to complete them.

Lauxman said the development projects will add to the quality of student life and the overall safety of the recreational activities. Students and the residents of Cape Girardeau will benefit from the changes, he said, because in addition to use by student intramural teams, church leagues will be able to use the fields on weekends. The city will also have access to two additional fields that may help them attract larger soccer tournaments.

"I would call this a recreational, athlete and community project," said Lauxman. "There's a student life issue, because many times, in wet weather at least half of our softball fields would be rained out. There's also a safety issue, because people have been parking on Sprigg, and we feel we've been very lucky not to have had any people injured severely."