Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato this morning announced plans to build a sports complex on about 78 acres of land, including nearly a mile extension of the Montour Trail from Route 51 to the Coraopolis Bridge.

Still in the initial planning phase, the county intends to develop the property into an athletic complex with about 10 multi-purpose sports fields including rugby, soccer and lacrosse pitches.

Land for the complex was donated to the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County by the Sports Legacy Foundation, which has owned the property for about six years.

"This is an incredible opportunity to transform a vacant brownfield into a world-class recreational facility," Mr. Onorato said, adding that the project, which is estimated to cost about $10 million to $15 million, will be funded through a number of public-private collaborations.

Commonly known as Montour Junction, the land, which sits between Coraopolis, Moon and Robinson, was once owned by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.

The land, which has been under environmental clean-up for a few years now, is currently zoned for industrial nonresidential purposes.

The county is in the process of converting it into residential zoning, and then it will be transferred to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works.