Columbia aldermen received conceptual drawings and cost estimates of a potential sportsplex and discussed what features they’re looking for during a Feb. 6 work session.
A nearly packed board room of interested citizens attended, and Mayor Justin McKenzie said afterward the two-hour meeting was very productive.
While the topic of a location for the sportsplex did come up more than once, the goal of the meeting was determining what the board and citizens felt the facility needed to have and what should be built first.
“Anything we do moving into how and what we want to build and dream for a sports complex, we want to include every aspect,” McKenzie said.
City voters passed a referendum in May 2019 that implemented a 3% tourism tax on hotels and restaurants with some of the proceeds going toward building a youth sports complex, which has been debated in Columbia for more than two decades. The tax is expected to generate about $750,000 per year.
Aldermen had earlier ordered an environmental study of city-owned land on R.A. Johnson Drive, which is one of two primary properties under consideration. The other is county-owned land at the Marion County Businessplex (former Columbia Training School).
Engineer Jeff Dungan presented the results on Feb. 6 of the R.A. Johnson Drive environmental study, which included a preliminary sketch of the potential possibilities of building the complex there. He also presented a cost estimate for building the complex on the 50 acres at the location, including the 10 acres owned by the city schools.
He said the land is remarkably good, according the Phase I environmental study. He presented a conceptual drawing showing a five-field concept. The drawing showed a total of 10 ballfields, three regulation-sized soccer fields, a walking trail and parking for 650 vehicles.
Architect Jamie Weir created the drawing. He is also the architect working for the city school board for the new football stadium at Columbia High School.
Dungan said the drawing included a covered area, batting cages, a large pavilion, a playground and a maintenance building.
The cost included doing the work in phases. Dungan said he felt like the No. 1 priority was the baseball and softball fields. He said the cost for phase one at the utmost, best-of-the-best type facility, which has five fields, a lot of parking, maintenance building, playground and the pavilion, would be $5 million. Phase two would include the other five fields at a cost of $4 million.
“This is first class. Could you build it for less? Absolutely. Could you build it for a lot less? Absolutely,” Dungan said.
Phase three would consist of soccer and football fields, creating a multi-purpose area, including parking, at a cost of $1.5 million. The construction of the tennis courts would be another $1 million.
Dungan discussed the retention pond on the other side of RA Johnson Drive. To make it a viable recreational space would be $500,000, which would include deepening the pond for fish and building a walking trail and a pier.
“It would be a real nice attraction,” Dungan said.
Dungan told the crowd that the debt service on $1 million is $125,000 for 10 years. He said he did not recommend going more than 10 years with the debt service because the complex would be worn out. Something like this, he said, will need to have a complete rebuild.
Alderman Jason Stringer asked the crowd which park was their favorite to visit and play at. The majority said Vicksburg with Gulfport being right behind it. The Vicksburg sportsplex, which opened in 2019, is privately managed and cost $26 million, according to reports from the Vicksburg Post. It's funded by a 2% tourism tax.
Alderman Edward Hough said he felt like Columbia could support six ballfields and two smaller fields for T-ball. At Dean Griner, he said, the younger ballplayers have to share one field, which can sometimes make them the last ones to leave.
“The ball league itself runs through June or July; what we need for our community or our town, then we can discuss about trying to go out and get some tournaments,” Hough said.
“That is something we need to decide: Do we need something just for our children in Marion County or do we want to try to do something and bring other teams in?” he said.
The audience began jumping in with “yes” for bringing in other teams.
McKenzie said he believed there was a need for at least an eight-field complex. He suggested finding out what the city could afford and what needs can be met and try to make Columbia’s facility better than other complexes of the same size.
“You have to have room to expand. At Dean Griner’s there is no room to expand; at Duckworth Park you have no room to expand. In the fall you have soccer going on, football going on and ball going on and that’s a lot. Where have we gone in the last 30 years and where are we going in the next 30 years? That is what you are looking at,” Stacy Buckley said.
Discussion was also held on how youth football, travel basketball, travel volleyball and soccer are booming in the area.
Hough asked the ones involved in baseball and softball if would they prefer artificial turf or natural grass, and the majority of the people said they would prefer the turf even though it is hotter because it is easier to maintain and better able to be utilized when it has rained.
“If we can come up with what we need while we continue to work on where to put it, that’s where we need to move forward tonight," the mayor said. "If it has to be moved elsewhere, an additional environmental study will need to be done and that will take time and a little money."
The next step, McKenzie said, was to work on drawings and work with the county at an upcoming meeting this week.
