Escambia Holds Groundbreaking On $8.8 Million Southwest Sportsplex

June 29, 2011

Escambia County held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a new $8.8 million sports facility in southwest Escambia County.

The Southwest Sportsplex will sit on approximately 200 acres on Bauer Road and will house multiple lighted baseball, softball, soccer and football fields, an open play area, walking trails,
playground, covered pavilions and parking.

The total cost of the project — including athletic fields, pavilions, and playground — is anticipated to be $8.8 million from Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) monies.

Comments

8 Responses to “Escambia Holds Groundbreaking On $8.8 Million Southwest Sportsplex”

  1. rmd on July 1st, 2011 11:21 am

    if the county is so broke where did they get 8 million dollars.

  2. MM on June 30th, 2011 5:17 pm

    Where’s the new boat ramp on Perdido Bay? I need a boat ramp… You can’t launch a boat at a ball park.

  3. kimberly edmonson on June 30th, 2011 7:40 am

    I am all for more parks in Pensacola~ our kids need places to go or they become bored and get into trouble. The problem is most of the existing parks are lacking restroom facilities. I learned this recently when planning a party and was disappointed to learn most of escambia county parks do not have restrooms!! Imagine a child’s birthday party with 10-15 children and parents without restroom facilities-needless to say I was forced to choose another venue. I think the money needs to put into the existing parks-upgrading the facilities!

  4. Jane on June 29th, 2011 3:20 pm

    Who decided we needed to spend this much money on a park??? Or maybe one the commissioner’s kids or grandkids wanted one?????

  5. Football Mom on June 29th, 2011 9:47 am

    Concerned Citizen – have you had a child play ball at a county park lately? I have had 3 boys in football / baseball for the last 11 years and I can tell you the parents (most, not all) are still the reason these parks are up and running. Myself along with many others have put in countless hours volunteering, PAYING monies, RAISING monies, cooking , cleaning up ect. You should attend an opening day or a jamboree before you draw conculsions about “PARENTS THESE DAYS”. There are still a good many of us that spend our evenings (after working 40-50hrs a week) and weekends running the “PARK” so our children can play ball.

    BTW…..Once the county builds the park, it is usually up to the parents / sponsors to ensure that park sustains itself.

  6. sandra on June 29th, 2011 9:28 am

    I’m tryin’ to do the math on how many “donuts” I’d have to sell to build an eight million dollar ballpark….. LOST monies are to be used for capital improvements only, ie balparks etc. nice park by the way.

  7. Concerned Citizen on June 29th, 2011 8:11 am

    When did the County get into the ball park building business?

    I remember back in the day when I grew up ( mid 60’s ) that West Pensacola, Brent, Myrtle Grove, Warrington, Bellview ball parks were all built, paid for and sustained by the PARENTS of those children who played at those parks and the children who utililized those ballfields got out EVERY Saturday morning EARLY to sell dougnuts door to door to help offset those cost.

    I guess parents are more lazy and have not the desire or drive to do anything for their children these days like our forefathers did for us back in the day. I am very thankful for those days and bring back HAPPY MEMORIES as well

    My father like so many other dads back in the day worked and supported the Brent ballparks which in that day were located down towards Massuchusetts Avenue’s end every weekend putting in endless days of time just for the children to enjoy. My dad along with other dads then helped develop (1970) and build the newer Brent ballparks that are located more towards Michigan Avenue’s end where the fields sit today. That is how it should be done today as well. It is not Pensacola’s Citizens responsibility to pay for and build the RICH FOLKS spoiled brats a place to play ball. It is the responsibility of those parents whose children participate at those ballparks to PAY for and also get involved and work and build the parks they wish to have IF they want their kids to play any type of sports. What is it, Are the parents TOO GOOD or TOO FRAGILE to work hard to provide a nice place for their children to play? Afraid to sweat?

    County needs to get out of the ball park business since they NEVER asked the citizens of the county to use OUR TAX DOLLARS to build the park.

  8. Polythenepam on June 29th, 2011 7:41 am

    Didnt we have some kind of sports plex thing just behind Ruby Tuesdays on Highway 29 a few years ago? It flopped. We have one in Cantonment that is hardly used to its full extent. Why waste this money we need other things worse around here. Did somebody ASK for this ? Or did someone just decide we need it?