The Lamar County Sportsplex’s project schedule and estimated costs are expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors at its next meeting on July 18.
The Supervisors’ agenda for their Monday, July 1, meeting at the William J. “Pete” Gamble III Chancery Courthouse included presentation of the Master Plan project schedule and estimated costs from engineering firm Neel-Schaffer.
Two advisory groups recommended the facilities for the sportsplex that were presented to the Supervisors on June 3. The early list included six multi-purpose fields, eight tennis courts, a 100-by-240-foot pavilion, and a 10,000-square-foot splash pad.
Doug Wimberly of Neel-Schaffer
Doug Wimberly of Neel-Schaffer said at the earlier meeting, “I think this sportsplex could be an earmark for the state, something everyone in the state will be looking at.”
The June presentation of the Master Plan was extremely preliminary, according to Lamar County Administrator Joseph “Jody” Waits.
“This whole process is about getting the vision,” he said. “Once we have all the visions, we can begin to work on the concrete – what we can do, the funding of it, and the presentation. Then we get to work trying to get the funding, and the funding determines what actually goes in the ground. It’s a long-range project.”
Also included in Phase I of the master plan are two sand volleyball courts, a low ropes course, a dog park, a disc golf course, a walking, jogging and cycling path, and a maintenance and storage area. Phase 2 focuses on improving existing facilities in Purvis, Lumberton, Baxterville, Sumrall and Oak Grove; a softball fourplex, a baseball fourplex, two multi-purpose fields and a high ropes course.
The third phase of the master plan adds an indoor recreation facility, an aquatics area expansion, multi-purpose fields’ expansion, and expansion of the baseball and softball fields.
Waits said Monday the presentation was delayed because of business conflicts.
Lamar County, County Administrator Joseph "Jody" Waits
“We made two field trips to other sportsplexes to see what they offered,” he said. “We went to Gulfport and Vicksburg.”
The Vicksburg sportsplex includes multi-purpose fields that can accommodate up to 10 baseball or softball fields, seven full-size soccer fields, and everything in between. Family entertainment attractions include a 300-foot Fly Wire Zip Line, Bridge City Mini Golf, and the Steamboat Playground – a play structure shaped like a Mississippi River steamboat.
The Gulfport Sportsplex recently finished an $8.5 million expansion with six synthetic turf field complex improvements, one field with individual stadium seating, new facilities and meeting room, batting cages, two stadium multi-purpose fields, bleachers, and a new roadway to enter the complex.
In total, the complex has 15 baseball and softball fields, which are also available for T-ball and coach pitch, concession stands, score towers, slow pitch, pavilions, restrooms, three batting cages, six full-size soccer fields, adult flag football, and youth tackle football.