CROWN POINT | Proponents of Crown Point youth sports spoke volumes without a word Monday night.

At Mayor Dan Klein's request, the crowd stood up to show its support for a proposed sportsplex at Breyfogle Farm off Old Merrillville Road.

The Crown Point City Council responded, unanimously approving both readings of an ordinance to rezone Breyfogle Farm from industrial to conservation. The rezone is a precursor to developing the property into a future sportsplex.

Industrial business leaders along the Summit Street corridor objected to the rezone. They presented a petition to the council asking the land be kept for industry.

Cornell Raab, of Balemaster, said the industrial land is vital for bringing jobs and tax dollars into the community.

"You're going to need tax dollars to pay for all those plans," he said. "Where are you going to find this money?"

The project's total price tag is between $13 million and $16 million, said Schneider Corp. landscape architect Nola Albrecht.

The engineering firm secured a $19,850 contract with Crown Point in November to complete a master plan for the current North Street sportsplex and Breyfogle Farm.

Klein said the master plan gives every youth sports group "a footprint" on city property.

Those footprints reduced land slated for expansion of the city's wastewater treatment plant on Breyfogle Farm to about 4 acres, Albrecht said. The city bought 8.8 acres using wastewater utility funds.

Schneider's plan also slices the amount of property to be resold as commercial land from about 16 acres to 7.2 acres at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Summit Street. That land was going to be set aside to help recoup the Redevelopment Commission's purchase of Breyfogle Farm using tax increment financing dollars. It also would help pay for some of the proposed sportsplex improvements, Klein said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Bryan Dominguez, who is secretary for the youth soccer league. "We really have a chance to do something special for Crown Point."

Michael Krosschell, Schneider Corp. project manager, said it will cost about $500,000 to get Breyfogle's sportsplex started. He suggested starting the North Street property by putting football fields on the west side.

"There's millions of dollars up here," Krosschell said, gesturing toward a map of the property. "The biggest bang for your buck is the west football fields. That's the space you're not utilizing now."