Springdale stadium progresses

Arvest Ballpark construction on schedule, supervisor says

— An army of workers in hard hats poured concrete, sawed stone, laid brick and moved dirt Thursday at Arvest Ballpark.

The foul smell of decomposing organic matter seeped through the surface of the red dirt surrounding the stadium bowl. A man operating a small bulldozer equipped with a laserguided grading system prepared the field for sod.

With a March 1 deadline, construction workers moved with purpose and precision.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a Class AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, are scheduled to make their first home appearance April 10. If the $32 million stadium isn't ready for the lead up to their debut, ballpark contractor Crossland Construction will have to pay $325,000.

"We won't even come close to the deadline," James Farmer, Crossland's project supervisor, said during a media tour. "We'll get it done."

The Naturals are under contract to play in Springdale for 20 years. Voters in July 2006 approved a $50 million bond issue by just 13 votes - 2,408 to 2,395 - to build the stadium and adjacent road improvements.

Crews work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and half shifts on Sunday, and as many as 112 workers are on site at any given time. A patchwork of mobile homes, stained with mud and crammed with blueprints and contract documents, serves as the project's nerve center.

Crossland and the subcontractors have made noticeable progress since starting in mid-June.

Most of the bleachers are installed, the field will be fitted for sod this week and the party deck behind left field is finished. Drainage beneath the ballpark is in place. Steel frames for concession areas and restrooms on the western concourse are already up, as they are for the facility's administrative center.

Springdale has spent $17.6 million, or 35 percent of its $50 million budget, on construction and road improvements. Of that, $9.7 million went specifically to earthwork and the ballpark, city records show.

Separate contracts for road improvements and the 1,650-space parking lot are set to conclude by Dec. 31. Progress - despite recent rainfall - has Planning and Community Development Director Patsy Christie optimistic.

"We have put together a greatteam," Christie said, referring to Crossland and ballpark design firm HOK Sport. "We're doing well. It doesn't mean we don't have glitches every once in a while that have to be addressed. That's what you'll have in construction."

As the contractors and the architects build the ballpark, city officials are taking steps to ensure a smooth arrival for the Naturals.

The City Council is considering an amendment to the fireworks ordinance so pyrotechnics can be shot at the stadium throughout the season, from March to September. Aldermen are expected to vote on the amendment this month.

The City Council approved a $1 million contract for the purchase and installation of concession equipment in late September.

The Department of Planning and Community Development is creating guidelines for road improvements and the installation of utilities along 56th Street, the main artery leading to the stadium. Planners expect the area around the ballpark to develop into a commercial center.

"It's probably the most exciting project I've ever worked on in my career," Christie said.

Arkansas, Pages 21 on 10/07/2007

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