Goodyear Ballpark & Recreational Sports Complex

A whole new ball gameBrendan A. Smith reports on the construction of a new sports facility in the desert city of Goodyear, Arizona. The city of Goodyear, Arizona is the new hot spot for major league ballplayers heading out to the Cactus League for spring training this year, and there is no doubt why. The talk of the Cactus League is the brand new $108 million spring training facility being built on a three acre spread just south of the city center. The Goodyear Ballpark & Recreational Sports Complex will be home to both of OhioÔÇÖs beloved ball clubs, the Indian and Reds, during spring ball. The respective clubs will enjoy exclusive use of two practice fields and an additional eight fields are available to the boys of summer during spring training. When the teams move back east for the regular season, the world class fields will be available for use by the community. Ted Stately, the projectÔÇÖs coordinator, oversees the construction efforts for this architectural gem, designed by world renowned HOK Sports of Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City organization is no stranger to the architecture and design world of prime time athletic venues, toting an impressive resum├® with projects ranging from the Dubai Autodrome to Gillette Stadium. The firm used cutting edge design technology sparing no modern luxury on The Goodyear Ballpark & Recreational Sports Complex, fitting the 10,000 plus person stadium with 8,000 stadium seats, all with unobstructed views to home plate. An additional 1,500 lawn seats were added for spring training enthusiasts who enjoy the ÔÇ£old time feelÔÇØ of the game, while another 500 premium seats are available for those who seek executive level seating. To top it off the complex brandishes a party deck to for all to enjoy.The Barton Malow Company, headquartered in Michigan with satellite offices in nearby Tempe, Arizona is charged with construction duty on the project which has a completion date scheduled for February 2009. Barton Malow, ISO 9000:2000 certified, brings the best quality and workmanship credentials to the jobsite. Its peers have recognized the company for superior workmanship in the form of several prestigious industry awards, including the distinguished 2006 National AGC safety award, 25% Below Incident Division Rate from The Associated General Contractors of America.The company uses cast-in-place concrete walls that are poured at the batterÔÇÖs eye level and has already poured and waterproofed both dugouts as well as the left field wall. The same techniques are used in the bullpens and for the right field building because the cast-in-place method allows for greater structural support and long-term durability.┬áBack in the clubhouse things are on schedule as well. Steel stairs and interior masonry are completed, wood trusses are installed in the weight room ceiling, and four plunge pools in the state of the art hydrotherapy room have also been checked off of the to-do list.On the field, where the action will soon be taking place, grass is growing on six practice fields, two additional half fields, and the agility field. The grass, which is the next big step in completing the Cleveland Indians Development Complex, was blown directly on the field using a process known as ÔÇ£springingÔÇØÔÇösimilar to conventional sod, but more beneficial because the grass is grown offsite and harvested using a special machine that shoots strands of grass by the root onto the ground, providing the athletes with a better playing surface.In August of 2008, the city of Goodyear assumed responsibility for finishing construction of the accompanying infrastructure for the Goodyear Ballpark & Recreational Sports Complex. These responsibilities include water and sewer lines, storm drains, roads, electric, gas, telephone, cable, traffic signals, and landscaping, to ensure the timely completion of off-site infrastructure before the first pitch in February 2009.The city of Goodyear, whose citizens overwhelmingly approved a bond election for $10 million in 2004, will draw on the facility to host several citywide sponsored events, and look for the project to pay handsome dividends for years to come. The venue was built to attract fans of the game from every level and will prove to be a great community investment for the booming desert city of Goodyear, Arizona. ÔÇô Editorial research by Steve Shah┬á