Bids for renovations of Owensboro Softball Complex at Jack C. Fisher Park have been returned under budget, which officials hope will lead to a faster timeline on some parts of the project. If everything goes according to plan, Owensboro Parks and Recreation hopes to complete the park overhaul by Memorial Day weekend of 2020.
Owensboro Parks and Recreation Director Amanda Rogers said bids for Phase I of the project, which include the synthetic fields, irrigation and batting cages, were expected to come back in at $1.8 million, but instead came in just over $1 million.
“We believe this will go up some once we work with the contractors and provide clarification on the project,” Rogers said.
Rogers said after her staff reviews the bids, she expects to award the job at the end of next week.
Other parts of Phase I include reworking the front parking lot and rebranding the park with new signage, which have not yet been placed out for bid. The total projected cost of the first phase is $2.1 million.
Phase II projects include the back parking lot, new ticketing and service entrances, new playground and additional spectator seating and shade areas. Rogers said she hopes to move some of these items up the priority list since Phase I appears to be under budget as of now.
Rogers said while some small maintenance improvements have been made at Fisher Park, it remains relatively the same 31 years after opening.
“When you use a facility as heavy as we use Fisher, it is trying to keep it in good condition,” she said.
According to Rogers, 22 to 26 events are scheduled annually at the Owensboro Softball Complex between April and October. More than 2,000 games are played at the facility each year, which is more than the number of games played for any other sport locally.
“Fisher Park is the linchpin in our tournament season,” she said. “It it a key factor in our sports tourism. Getting this location updated is needed to get our community set up for the next 30 years.”
