Elizabethtown Sport Park
Kentucky’s newest sports facility, Elizabethtown Sports Park, scheduled opening for late summer 2012, is progressing nicely. Construction of this state of the art facility broke ground in June 2010 with mass earthwork and underground utility work. After an awful spring weather wise, construction is buzzing along nicely. Currently, contractors are working in areas of backstop and dugouts, soccer field irrigation/drainage, and masonry work on Headquarters area. The park is scheduled to begin holding events in late summer 2012, depending on weather, seeding and growing of the sports turf, which will begin in late summer 2011.
Funding for Elizabethtown Sports Park came through a local restaurant tax (passed in 2009), which is a 2% tax on prepared foods within the city limits. This tax generates approximately $2.2 million per year and city of Elizabethtown authorized issuance of bonds in July 2010 up to $29 million for construction. The City of Elizabethtown will own and operate the park, with the Elizabettown Tourism & Convention Bureau will serve as the Marketing and Sales Agent. Elizabethtown Sports Park has been established as a stand-alone city park with a separate operating budget and staff. Revenue sources for the park include field rentals, concessions, and other vending/sponsorship/advertising agreements. Local economic impact projections are $7.7 million for the first several years, with growth factors taking the impact close to $40 million per year within 10 years.
Progress on the facility can be found by following James Bergdoll, Elizabethown Sports Park Sports Turf Manager’s Blog, Elizabethtown Sports Complex Facebook page. Kentucky Youth Soccer is looking forward to the opening of the park next year.
About Elizabethtown Sports Park
158 acres
2 full-size synthetic turf fields (120x80)
7 additional full-size natural turf sports fields (110x80)
3 smaller natural turf sports fields (80x55)
12 diamonds – 2 Babe Ruth, 6 Baseball, 4 Skinned infields
All full size fields will be lit with Musco sports lighting
An ADA-accessible “Miracle” field for physically challenged athletes
3 mile multi-modal path around park perimeter
6 concession operations
3 pavilions featuring storage, vendor space, locker room, meeting space, coach’s lounge
Outdoor plaza space lined with power and data comm. for team tents, vendors, festivals, etc.
Wi-fi throughout the park
Pictures
Master Plan
Entrance off West Park Road
Field Lighting Foundation Drill
Headquaters and Maintenance Building
Soccer Irrigation Installation