NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council on Monday unanimously approved entering into an Exclusive Dealings Agreement with a private developer to develop, manage and maintain the city’s planned $8.7 million youth sports tournament complex.
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The Request for Proposals (RFP) was posted on Dec. 21, 2023, and saw the City Council ultimately choose to partner with Northport Sports Complex Development, LLC. Four responses to the RFP were considered by the City Council Subcommittee for Aquatics and Sports.
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As Patch previously reported, a groundbreaking for River Run Park is set for March 18, with the park being part of the larger Northport Shore development that will also encompass Kentuck Park, Warrior Baseball, and Northport’s Levee Trail.
Little is known at present about the firm that will head up the project, apart from its name reservation filed on Jan. 30 with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office by Tuscaloosa attorney Michael D. Smith.
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Instead, questions remain, especially considering there is no actual business entity profile for the firm that lists a registered agent, formation date or any other details about the company.
According to the RFP, Northport Sports Complex Development will now be responsible for the 10.26-acre development that includes a hotel and an indoor recreation facility within the city’s 300-acre Northport Shore masterplan.
The firm will also be tasked with managing, operating and maintaining all of the recreation areas within the tournament facility.
The first phase of the approved master plan calls for nine competition baseball/softball fields, with the new park expected to feature two signature fields as the venue’s centerpieces.
The signature fields will include a concession building and grandstands, with both fields being capable of serving as host sites for high school up through college for baseball and softball.
According to the River Run Park presentation given to the City Council, grandstands for the signature baseball field will feature 400 bleacher seats and 150 premium folding seats, while the signature softball field grandstands will have the same number of bleacher seats and 110 premium folding seats.
The seven other fields will be more traditional but with the ability to easily adjust dimensions based on the type of event being hosted.
Plans also call for a 131,000-square-foot indoor recreation facility that will be designed to accommodate competitions for basketball, volleyball, cheer, and dance.
What’s more, developers are expected to construct a Legacy Plaza — an area that could provide opportunities for different kinds of team seating and event space, as well as a place to honor some of the area’s sports legends.
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