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Marion Sports Complex getting off-season upgrades

New backstops, larger dugouts expected to be ready for spring seasons

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion has begun work on installing new decorative backstops and enlarging the dugouts at the softball field complex.

Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rawls told the city council that the demolition work is mostly complete and that they hope to have the work completed by March 1.

“It’s moving along,” Rawls said. “The demo is pretty much complete. We tore the dugouts out and are getting the last of the rubble out.”

The city will be enlarging the dugouts at the four softball fields from 23 feet to 30 feet, and will be ten feet deep instead of six feet, similar to what they did at the girl’s softball field three years ago.

“You hate to say we are keeping up with the Joneses,” Rawls. “But a lot of where the tournaments are played today is location and aesthetics as much as anything else. But this will also give these teams a little more room to move around in where they don’t feel like they are on top of each other. It is going to make them more comfortable.”

The fields will also get new brick backstops and a 25 foot net which will make it easier to watch the action.

“People will be able to see through it instead of through a chain link fence and won’t have as many poles or obstructions,” Rawls said. “And the higher net will cut down on foul balls that get knocked into the crowd.”

The cost for the project is about $250,000 to $300,000. Voters approved spending $1.075 million from a $16 million bond for parks improvements.

Rawls said they have been able to save money by doing most of the demolition work themselves and buying the materials directly rather than through a contractor.

“When we did the girl’s field we spent about $54,000,” Rawls said. “We did all the demo ourselves and acted as our own contractor. So we can buy the materials ourselves and not pay a mark up that a contractor might charge. This allows us to control the cost and keep it down.”

By Mark Randall