Soccer

to be a nice facility to watch a game.”

Simon said the on-campus facility has been made possible due to the support of the community for the college and its various programs.

“We’ve been very fortunate and blessed that there has been very strong support from the community for our soccer program,” Simon said. “Now we’re glad to be able to have this enthusiasm right here on campus. It’s going to be special for them to be able to play in front of their peers.

“We have a great relationship with the community. It’s not just our athletic programs, but it goes on to our visual and performing arts programs and others as well. The college adds value to the community, and the community makes things like this possible.”

The program doesn’t have any immediate plans to name the soccer facility. It will open in the fall as the Angelina College Soccer Field, which will be played at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex.

At some point, the facility could be renamed, although that has yet to be discussed.

Simon said AC’s athletic program is one that has benefits all around.

“One of the reasons I was attracted to Angelina College was their great intercollegiate athletics program. It adds so much not just for the student-athletes but for the students as well.”

The AC athletic program has gone through one of its best stretches in school history.

The softball team won the national title in 2014 and was the national runner-up in 2019.

The women’s basketball team won the Region XIV title in 2019, which automatically qualified it for the national tournament.

The men’s basketball team qualified for the national tournament by winning Region XIV in 2020. It was AC’s first time to qualify for the national tournament since 1998, although it was eventually canceled due to COVID-19.

“We want to underscore how much our student-athletes really appreciate having our community come out and support them,”

Simon said. “We’re putting a quality product out there on the courts and the fields. For anyone who hasn’t come out, they’re missing a great opportunity. We encourage everyone to come out and support the product we have put out here.” still up for discussion.”

Josh Havard’s email address is josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

But the space will be filled with something that meets the community’s needs, he said.

Phase 1

The houses are a part of the first phase of property development set forth by the nonprofit, Shankle said. Their placement was dictated out of necessity and will result in a reimagining of the original master plan by Texas A&M. But one house is already occupied and the contracts are being finalized on the other, Shankle said.

“Housing was one of the biggest issues — affordable housing,” he said. “That was the first step we took.”

The nonprofit broke ground on the three bedroom, two bathroom houses along Sayers Street in early December 2020. They were constructed by Hicks Co., a company owned by Lufkin Mayor Mark Hicks.

Seven different banks have taken on the initiative to help prospective homeowners into the nonprofits’ new homes — their focus being on helping those who may not otherwise qualify for homeownership,

Shankle said.

Homeownership is crucial for helping low-income families out of poverty, a report released by the national Habitat for Humanity organization states. Homeownership leads to an increase in graduation rates, children’s health and the net family wealth. It also helps reduce reliance on government assistance.

“When you own a house you will take better care of it — not saying people who don’t won’t — but if you have a house, you take more pride in keeping it up,” he said. “Then it just beautifies the scenery of where you live at.”

He hopes to get a community garden started as people begin occupying the homes, something they can walk out behind their homes and help maintain and of which they can enjoy the fruits.

The nonprofit will construct eight homes in total, each with three bedrooms, two baths and a fenced-in backyard. They will cost an average of $139,000, Shankle said.

“To walk through the house, if I weren’t the president of this organization, I’d be trying to get into one myself,” he said. “Those are nice houses for the price they’re being sold.”

He thinks construction of the eight houses will be completed by December, but said the weather slowed the progress some. He thinks crews will get a lot of work done this spring and summer, though.

“We have to fulfill our promise to the community, and that was one of our promises — we will build affordable housing,” Shankle said. “So it’s up to them now to apply to get one of these houses.”

The nonprofit also will construct a small street through the former golf course property in hopes of relieving the potential congestion issues residents may face with development.

What’s next?

In Phase 2, Impact Lufkin hopes to bring a small community grocery store to the area. Shankle said the nonprofit is in talks with a local grocer. He said he hopes to make a big announcement in 2022 about that particular project.

Another goal was the construction of a light manufacturing facility that residents could find employment with; the nonprofit hasn’t reached the point to bring in any manufacturers, Shankle said. But it did sell 25 acres to the Community Foundation, and Shankle thinks the foundation has some leads on a potential buyer.

The community center will likely be the last thing the nonprofit works on, he said.

Cost estimates received a few years ago suggested it would cost close to $10 million to construct a facility capable of meeting the needs expressed by the community, Shankle said. And since then, inflation has skyrocketed.

The nonprofit also wants to make sure the center is run by people who know what they are doing and will make it a true benefit to residents.

For now, the nonprofit will move as it receives grants and such to tackle each of the community initiatives. And in the meantime, the property will be made accessible for events including cross country meets, fishing tournaments and more.

Jess Huff’s email address is jess.huff@lufkindailynews.com.