Baseball starts next week at new North Hall Park

GAINESVILLE - Very soon it will be time to 'play ball' at North Hall Park on Nopone Road.

Work continues on the interior of the community and technology center, but Public Works Director Ken Reardon said the ball fields are ready.

"Parks and Recreation is planning on starting their Little League play next week sometime," Reardon said, adding that the community and technology center is nearing completion.

"We are almost through with the work inside the building," Reardon said. "We've got to put the furniture in it; that's going out for bids."

So far the park, ball fields included, occupies around 40 acres but Reardon said there's plenty of room for expansion on the 127-acre property. There are plans to build soccer fields on the other side of the stream that crosses the site; future funding would allow a big soccer complex for North Hall as well as the Allen Creek Complex near Gainesville.

Reardon said there are other athletic facilities besides the baseball fields that are ready for use.

"There's a soccer/football field that's ready for play as well as a full-sized, high school-sanctioned track," according to Reardon. "There are no stadium bleachers...we've got terraced places where the fans can come and bring their fold-out chairs and watch games."

North Hall Park has a $10 million-plus SPLOST price tag. Charles Black Construction Company's contract was for $9.7 million with about $8.9 million spent on the project to date.

"It's going to be on time and on budget," Reardon said.

As for the community/technology center, Reardon estimates a summer opening.

"I would say either June or the start of the fiscal year in July," he said. "The parks and the library folks are working that out. We've got to get all this furniture installed and the equipment installed in the recreation and technology center."

According to Reardon, furniture, fixtures and equipment are under a separate $1-million budget.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/4/247214