It’s happening.
The City of Laurel is about to begin construction of the City Recreation Department’s Eight-plex Project.
It has been more than a decade and a half that city officials have talked about constructing an eight-plex at the Laurel Sportsplex.
This month the Laurel City Council approved a resolution giving authority to award construction of Phase I of the Laurel Sportsplex Expansion Project with a cost of $3.8 million.
“It’s been 16 years in the making,” Laurel Mayor Johnny Magee said. “We have been working and talking about this for some time. The first time we voted on it was in 2005.
"We had to go through so many hurdles," he added. "We had to get permission from the FFA, FEMA, Department of Environmental Quality, and the Corp of Engineers."
Magee said city officials, especially Recreation Director Elvin Ulmer, never gave up on the project, and now the city is ready to begin construction.
According to the resolution approved by the Laurel City Council, the City of Laurel has planned for expansion to the Sportsplex with the addition of eight softball fields and additional parking.
Officials said the city received bids for the first phase of the project on August 14th. City officials reported that five bids were received, and Larry J. Sumrall Contractors, Inc. submitted the lowest bid of $3,828,338.
Magee said Sumrall was one of the original contractors of the city-owned Sportsplex, which is located on Highway 84.
"When the Sportsplex was built in 1996, Larry J. Sumrall was involved in that," he said. "Now, it's coming full circle, and he is involved in expanding the facility." Magee said the first phase of the Eight-plex Project would include four softball fields with access road, parking, and other amenities.
Neel-Schaffer has been contracted to provide professional services for design, construction administration, and resident project representation for the project.
Magee said the city approved the sale of $4 million in bonds in 2019 that will be used to fund the first phase of the Eight-plex Project.
The mayor said the first phase of the project involves the construction of the fields. The second phase of the project is expected to involve the parking lots, concession stands, restrooms, and other items.
Magee said the design of the first phase of the project had been completed and construction work is expected to begin in September.
In February, the city approved an agreement with Neel-Schaffer in connection with the development of a Sportsplex Masterplan at the cost of $12,000.Magee said the city is exploring the possibilities of utilizing the unused property at the Sportsplex known as the former Bear Pen Creek Golf Club.
Recreation Director Elvin Ulmer said some of the property, which was once an 18-hole golf course, would be used for the Sportsplex expansion of its ball fields. However, officials would like to consider using the remaining portion of the property to construct a 9-hole golf course.
In February, the city council approved a resolution declaring the intent of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Laurel to issue general obligation bonds of the city in an amount not to exceed $4.5 million for recreation purposes.
In March, the Laurel City Council announced that there was no protest to the city’s intent to issue up to $4.5 million in obligation bonds for use in the second phase of the work at the facility.
Mayor Magee said the $4.5 million bonds sold earlier this month involving the second of the two one-cent tourism taxes that are being collected on hotels, motels in the city.
He said one-third of the second one-cent tax is designated for the Magnolia Center's support and would have to continue. However, the other two-thirds of that one-cent tax, which was approved through a local private bill approved by the Mississippi Legislature, would be utilized for the repayment of the proposed bonds.
Magee said the Sportsplex additions are expected to be completed by next summer when the city is slated to host the 2021 World Series.
"We are hoping to finish the fields by July 1st of next year," he explained. "We want to be ready when the World Series comes to town."