Recap: McCormick Field Neighborhood Meeting
May 21, 2024, 6 p.m. at McCormick Field
Attendees
City staff: Chris Corl, Director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities, Jade Dundas, Director of Capital Projects, Dustin Clemens, Project Manager, Meredith Friedheim, Communication Specialist
Asheville Tourists: Larry Hawkins, Manager
5 residents
Notes
Chris Corl, Director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities, provided an overview of the renovation design for McCormick Field, noting specific changes in what had been previously presented at neighborhood meetings in September 2023:
- After receiving early design cost estimates, the general layout of the facility needed to be refined and in some ways scaled back. The total project budget is $38.5 million.
- Instead of constructing a new building in right field, there will be an expansion of the existing building for new ticketing and a team store.
- In left field a new building for the home team clubhouse will be constructed requiring new excavation of 8-10 feet into the hillside.
- The outfield wall will stay in its existing location/footprint.
- Improvements in the new home team clubhouse include adding female locker rooms, upgrading weight spaces, restrooms, kitchen and dining areas.
- A video board/scoreboard will be installed on the outfield wall measuring approximately 70 feet wide.
- The short curved road connecting McCormick Place and Buchanan Ave between the condos and the parking lot will be removed and replaced with a new ADA ramp and expanded concourse at the main entrance.
- A new emergency exit will be constructed in the alley between the McCormick Place condos and the existing building.
- A separate streetscape project will take place on Buchanan, between McCormick Place and the stadium front entrance, simultaneously with McCormick Field renovation.
- Construction could start Labor Day week at the earliest. Target completion for the entire project is opening day 2026 (2025 season will still happen).
- The primary construction laydown (equipment and materials storage area) will be the existing main parking lot on McCormick Pl. The secondary staging area will be off of Hunt Hill. This will be close to the same footprint as what is happening currently for adjacent Memorial Field construction. New fencing and wind screens will be put up. The neighborhood tool shed will remain accessible. Part of the lower part of the Memorial Field lot on Buchanan will be designated for construction parking (un-fenced).
- The gravel parking area off Hunt Hill will be available on non game days. This area will be designated for player parking on game days.
General questions and comments from residents:
- Will there be utility shut offs? Not sure yet but it is likely that any shut offs would be isolated to this site. If there will be an impact to surrounding properties, the City will communicate in advance.
- Construction impact to traffic on McCormick Place (semi trucks)? Large trucks will probably be unloaded on Buchanan or Mccormick Pl because parking lot isn't feasible (this is speculation, need to confirm with construction manager).
- Are there plans for clean up of the buildings and ad hoc fencing in the Hunt Hill area? The City will want to replace the fence around the parking lot and generally amend the construction impacts.
- Do players leave their vehicles at McCormick Field when traveling for away games? Right now, yes.
- What if the cost continues to rise, will that affect what the project can accomplish? At this point in the process we are almost to the point of locking in the pricing, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
- Will there be changes to intended uses of the field (for other types of events)? No, that has not changed. There is a desire to use the field for events outside of baseball.
- The project team did a good job in responding to feedback from adjacent neighborhoods.
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