Photo by Erin Nelson.
Construction continues at the ballfields behindCahaba Heights Elementary as workers near the final phase of the project for the astroturf fields on May 1.
Despite historic amounts of rainfall and the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19, parts of Wald Park could be open late this summer, Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes said.
The current phase of Wald Park construction, which is part of the city’s Community Spaces Plan, includes the building of the new Vestavia Hills Aquatic Center, the bathrooms associated with that complex, ball fields, the lawn and the playground.
While nothing is certain given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Downes said it is possible the current phase of construction could be completed by early July or later this summer, depending on health orders given by the state.
While construction on the projects may be complete, the unknown is when those facilities would be available, though restrictions on gatherings of 10 or more people have been lifted, Downes said.
The pandemic followed what Downes called the “wettest three months in the history of time,” an unusually wet winter season that made construction a challenge.
The plan is to open the pool for “whatever period of time we can,” but what that might be is still up in the air, Downes said. “Right now,everything is a guess.”
The ball fields might be available for some use this summer for any youth athletic seasons, but that decision will be made by the Parks and Recreation Board, Downes said.
The lawn and playground should be functional sometime before the fall, he said. The city has not yet sought construction bids for phase three, which includes the tennis courts and dog park.
Also being built at Wald Park is the Miracle League Field, which will allow people with special needs and disabilities to play baseball. The Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation Foundation is trying to raise $450,000 for that project.
Amy Lawson, president of the foundation, said about half of that had been raised as of early May.
“It’s been hard for us to make new requests to people in this time,” Lawson said.
New donations have been hard to come by during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she said she’s hopeful as the state begins to reopen and rebound, that will change.
The exact date of completion on the field is unknown, but Lawson said she hopes it will be done sometime this summer. She said she hopes that when people see the field, they’ll realize that it’s a worthwhile project in which to be involved.
OTHER CITY PROJECTS
Downes said unless the pandemic lasts for a long period of time, the city’s finances are in good shape and there should be no disruption to city services.
However, there has been some impact to other Community Spaces projects. The biggest problem is the ability to purchase materials from suppliers, due to the disruption of the supply chain, he said.
Downes said there have not been major delays to the timelines of major projects. Much of the Cahaba Heights Park project was actually slated for early completion by the end of May, not including the playground and landscaping. The contractor has until the end of July to complete it, he said.
There is a slight delay on the construction of the new New Merkel House for senior citizens, due to some concerns about having two contractors on site at the park and the new New Merkel House at the same time.
But, akin to concerns at Wald Park, while Cahaba Heights Park may be open, social distancing guidelines set forth by the state will have to be observed, Downes said.
The Crosshaven Drive improvement project should begin in mid-June after the City Council awarded the contract to Dunn Construction. The improvements to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex were expected to be mostly completed by the end of May, and the council on May 11 awarded a contract for construction on the new community building, with that work scheduled to begin in June.
Other sidewalk projects along East Street and Poe Drive are ongoing, Downes said.
