STARKVILLE — In a weekend meant to test weaknesses at the $20-million-plus Cornerstone Park, city officials told The Dispatch there were relatively few.
After almost three years of delay-riddled construction, the baseball/softball facility off Highway 25 finally delivered its first crack of the bat during a soft opening last weekend, hosting a 29-team baseball tournament.
“I received dozens of phone calls saying the complex was great,” Starkville Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Doherty said, noting the event drew about 1,200 players and spectators. “We still have some things to work on. Of course, we’re always trying to get better, but everyone, probably 95% of people that came out there, really had great things to say about what they were seeing.”
This weekend’s tournament was hosted by Grand Slam, a sports tournament management company, and included concessions. Teams played in four divisions divided by age groups, ranging from 8 to 12 years old.
Mike Narmour, tournament director, described the weekend as successful for the players, but he expressed concerns about the accommodations for guests.
“… The parking got pretty obsolete with just 29 teams,” Narmour said. “We’re known for hosting larger events. If we bring those larger types of events you know parking is going to be an issue.”
Besides parking space, Narmour also said some guests reported issues with the condition of the lot itself, as only one of two layers of asphalt has been poured to date.
Doherty and Mayor Lynn Spruill said Narmour’s concerns will be addressed before the complex’s grand opening — planned for a still unspecified date this summer.
“We agreed to have the tournament as an effort to determine (what) our weaknesses might be before we have a full blown 100-team tournament schedule,” Spruill said. “… We have found some things that we need to do to improve and some areas where we need to make adjustments — simple things, such as where we locate the condiments for the concession trailers and where we need to locate benches and trash receptacles.”
The taxpayer-funded 12-field complex originally began construction after a groundbreaking in August 2020 and was anticipated to open in summer 2022.
The opening date was repeatedly pushed back due to COVID-19, heavy rainfall and supply chain issues. The delays made many city residents anxious to see progress.
The biggest remaining obstacle to fully opening Cornerstone to the public, Doherty said, is construction is still not complete.
“We are still waiting for one of the quadrants to have concrete put down,” Doherty said. “We’re going to continue to have small tournaments to keep improving what we are working on.”
In the meantime, more small tournaments will continue to pressure-test Cornerstone. That will include Grand Slam returning to host a tournament June 9-11, Narmour said.
“We hope to have several more tournaments for years to come,” Narmour said.
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