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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Alabaster Parks and Recreation Director Tim Hamm has shared the department’s plans and projects for 2023.

“Parks and Recreation is what people get out and do in the little free time that everyone has in this busy world,” Hamm said. “We want to provide facilities and areas that cater to all age groups and (be) able to personalize what we can and what we can offer.”

One of the largest projects the department is currently taking on are renovations to the Larry Simmons Stadium.

The Alabaster City Council approved a $196,930 bid with Ingle Demolition and Salvage during its Dec. 27 meeting to demolish the visitor stands and the old concession stand at the stadium.

Work will be done to remove many of the old buildings such as the concession stands, a bathroom, a maintenance shed and the visitor’s side bleachers.

“Since that stadium will primarily be used for city youth sports leagues moving forward, we won’t need the seating capacity on both sides of the stadium,” Public Relations Manager Neal Wagner said. “Once the demolition is complete, we’re going to add additional parking where the visitors stands used to be.”

According to Hamm, this is the beginning of a much larger project.

“Hopefully, within two or three years, we’ll start seeing a bigger project, which will be the recreation center, start to develop on that property,” he said.

The recreation center will be located on a small portion of the property where the school system’s administrator offices are currently located.

Peanut Davenport Baseball Field is also receiving renovations.

“We’re going to redo that baseball field, add a lot of parking, paid parking, free parking versus just having a gravel parking lot,” Hamm said. “(We’ll) redo the locker rooms (and) the bleachers. A lot of upgrades to that field, basically a complete brand-new field will be put out there. We’re looking to do that and turf and create enough space that we can have a couple small fields coming out of each corner of it.”

The city is also working on the Patriots Park project.

According to Hamm it will have a pickleball and basketball court, a playground, a few pavilions, open green space and new parking. The department hopes to have the project done by late spring or early summer.

Work is also being done to improve the batting cages at Veterans Park.

Four open-air batting cages will receive covering and lighting, and there will also be new floor with turf for the batting cages toward the back that are already covered.

Those who wish to keep up to date with the Alabaster Parks and Recreation department may follow its official Facebook page at Facebook.com/alabasterparksandrec.