Photo by Erin Nelson.
Construction is underway at Wald Park on the Miracle Field Foundation project along Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills.
Construction of new facilities and amenities at Wald Park are ongoing, after mass grading projects were carried out earlier this year and bids for several projects were approved at a July city council meeting.
In July, contractors were told to proceed with construction work, after the mass grading in the initial site package was complete and the low bid for the pool facility, baseball complex and roadway access, along with parking and a Miracle Field, was awarded to Taylor Miree Construction for about $16.3 million at the July 22 Vestavia Hills City Council meeting.
The new Wald Park, part of the Community Spaces plan, is designed with the intent to be an attraction for the city along U.S. 31 and will include new ballfields, green spaces, a new swimming pool, an amphitheater and a “great lawn” area that can serve multiple purposes.
The project costs about $16 million, Downes said. So far, there haven’t been any hangups in construction, he said.
Over the summer and into early fall, residents can expect to see more grading to the west of the park and excavation work being completed where the new pool facility will be located. The pool, pavilions, stage and amphitheater will be built gradually, Downes said.
In order to accommodate baseball season next year, the first priority is to have the ballfields fully operational, Downes said. The hope is to have those done by March 2020, with the pool facility open by late May, Downes said.
Everything else included in the Wald Park renovations should be completed by the fall of 2020, Downes said.
Despite the renovations to the park, Downes said the city is confident they can handle the maintenance work with existing staff levels.
As the park nears completion, the city will work to provide access to certain areas as they become available, Downes said.
MIRACLE FIELD
In addition to other ballfields at Wald Park, there are plans to build a field for the Miracle League, which provides opportunities for people with special needs to play baseball. Downes said the city knew due to the specifications of such a field that its budget would be tested, so they set a goal of receiving at least $350,000 in private donations.
Amy Lawson, president of the Vestavia Park Foundation, said the organization is beginning to raise funds for the Miracle Field with their own goal of $400,000, which would go toward building and maintaining the field, grounds, bleachers, fence and servicing.
“It’s extremely important,” Lawson said.
In the past, players with special needs have not had a field of their own to play on, and there hasn’t been a way for those using a wheelchair to play on the field. Lawson said players who use wheelchairs have had to be carried onto the field.
“I really can’t believe it’s been this long,” Lawson said.
With the nearby Hoover Miracle League field, a field in Vestavia will provide an opportunity not just for Vestavia athletes, but for those in the area to come and play.
Miracle League fields are designed with grounds that are accessible by wheelchair and bases that can be rolled over without being a tripping hazard.
The fundraising is in early stages, with the foundation asking for donations and working in early summer to come up with different levels of sponsorship. Lawson said donors could pay to put their name on a brick on the promenade, on the dugout or similar recognitions, depending on their level of commitment.
Vestavia Hills High School has already donated $45,000, Lawson said.
Lawson said the goal is to raise the funds by early 2020, as the work needs to be completed by next year. All funds given to the foundation will go toward the park, as it is the foundation’s only project at the moment, Lawson said.
“It’s going to bring in teams from all over, and that’s exciting for us,” Lawson said.
