The city of Vicksburg will issue up to $26 million in general obligation bonds to pay the city’s lease on the proposed sports complex.

The board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday approved a resolution of intent announcing its decision to issue the bonds to lease the sports complex after it is built. The bond issue will be paid using revenue from the special 2 percent sales tax the city began levying on hotel room rentals and food and beverage sales at restaurants in the city in October.

Sports Fields Inc. of Canton, Ga., parent company of The Sports Force, was hired by the board in January to design and build the complex on city property on Fisher Ferry Road south of St. Michael Catholic Church. Sports Fields was the only company to submit a proposal to build the complex.

City attorney Nancy Thomas said plans are to have the complex ready by spring 2019.

Under the plan, The Sports Force will lease the site for the sports complex on Fisher Ferry Road from the city, build the facility and lease it back to the city, which will pay rent to the developer and allow it to recover its costs for designing and building the complex.

The board in 2016 hired The Sports Force to perform a feasibility study on the Fisher Ferry site to determine if the property was suitable for a sports complex.

The company in August presented plans for a proposed complex to the seven-member committee appointed by Flaggs to oversee the design and construction of the complex.

According to an artist’s rendering presented at the August meeting, the complex will feature nine multiuse fields that can be used for soccer, baseball or softball; and championship fields for baseball, soccer and softball — all made of synthetic turf — as well as a splash pad, ropes course, walking track and other recreation activities, including a miniature golf course.

Once completed, the park will be the only one in the state with all artificial turf fields.

The preliminary design for the complex proposed using 75 acres of the 200-acre property and avoiding any impact from flood-prone areas of the property. Under the plan, the fields could be transformed into 11 youth baseball or softball fields, 18 youth soccer fields or nine full size lacrosse or full-size soccer fields if needed for tournaments.