Alton Mayor Gives Update On Soccer Field Collapse

ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins acknowledged the massive sinkhole at the Gordon Moore Park soccer field that collapsed on Wednesday morning, giving an update at the City Council meeting held later that evening.

New Frontier Materials, which operates an underground mine beneath the soccer field, said in a statement released shortly after the incident that the mine experienced “a surface subsidence” which “opened a sinkhole” on the soccer field. The park remains closed indefinitely as the site is analyzed and repaired.

Mayor Goins announced that he plans to meet with the head of New Frontier Materials at the park sometime tomorrow, June 27, 2024.

“The head of the mining company is flying in from Alabama and we’re having a meeting tomorrow at the park,” Goins said at the meeting. “At this time, the park is closed because it's not still settled. There’s still some movement, so we thought it’d be in the best interest … to close off all activities.”

He added that an “independent geologist” will survey the site, who will provide more insight into the extent of the damages and estimate when normal activities can resume at the park.

Relieved by reports of no injuries, the mayor said an unfortunate situation could have been much worse.

“It’s unfortunate, but the blessing is that no one was injured - there was no one on the ground at the time the collapse happened,” he added. “We’re very, very fortunate because as bad as this is, it could've been worse because there could've been injury or loss of life.

“It’s a situation that’s ongoing, and so we’ll continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available.”

A full recording of the Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story, on the Riverbender.com Facebook page, or on Riverbender.com/video. All Alton City Council meetings can also be watched live or on demand on the Riverbender.com Facebook page, Roku app, or YouTube channel.

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