CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Over the past year, many improvements were made to Warner Park. On Friday, July 11, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, two-time women's softball Olympic Gold Medalist Dot Richardson and several dignitaries, were on hand to host a grand re-opening.
Taking center stage for the event was the newly revamped softball complex. The complex was originally comprised of Frost Stadium, Hargraves Field, the four Cook Fields and Van Zant located on Third Street. The four center fields known as Cook 1, 2, 3 & 4, were torn down as was Van Zant. Three fields were added around the already revamped Hargraves Field located at the corner of McCallie and Holtzclaw Avenues.
A fifth field was constructed just beyond these four and a future “Miracle” field is slated for construction across the path. The miracle field will be a hard surface to accommodate the use of wheelchairs, crutches as well as other devices that can not be accommodated by a traditional field.
The softball complex's new concession building was dedicated Friday by local softball advocate Jim Frost in memory of Wilburn E. “Snooks” Nerren. He spent 40-plus years with the Parks and Recreation Department as the city's renowned Softball Coordinator “aficionado”. He is praised by generations of coaches, players, co-workers and sports media professionals both locally and nationally.
Mr. Nerren passed away in 2005, but the legacy of his love for Chattanooga's youth, softball and recreation will be remembered in a plaque at the new building's entrance. Nerren's family were in attendance at the dedication ceremony on Friday.
Dr. Dorothy “Dot” Richardson was on hand to open the park and throw out the first pitch. As well as winning gold in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, Richardson is a five-time World Champion, five-time Pan American, She was named to the Top 100 NCAA Student-Athletes of the Century (#43) and NCAA Player of the Decade (1980's), NCAA National Champion (1982), four-time Collegiate All-American. She is in the UCLA, Amateur Softball, State of Florida and Central Florida Halls of Fame.
Richardson, born in Orlando, Fla., is the co-founder and commissioner of the ProFastpich X-treme tour and Director and Medical Director of the National Training Center. She was reselected by President George W. Bush to sit as Vice-Chair on the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports and also sits on the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness for the State of Florida.
The grand opening celebration of the new championship softball facilities marks another milestone in the City's commitment to returning Warner Park, one of Chattanooga's oldest public parks and recreation centers, to its original prestige and grandeur.
“There is a great deal of history in Warner Park,” Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department Administrator Larry Zehnder said. “This property was purchased in the early 1700's with family entertainment and leisure in mind. It has contained an amusement park, race track, skating rink, the zoo, swimming pool, tennis courts, arts center and softball complexes to serve as a central point for family recreation in the city.”
The park's softball facilities has been the venue of choice for several prestigious tournaments that included Spring Fling, SEC and Southern Conference tournaments, UTC softball tournaments, Snyder-Oliver and other major events that bring many visitors to Chattanooga. Warner Park has also played host to many high school and college programs in the area as well in recreation league teams.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team plays all its home games at the 3,000 seat Jim Frost Stadium and hosts two tournaments each year at Warner Park. UTC held its first game at Frost on April 20, 1998 to a standing-room-only crowd of 3,251.
BALLFIELD and LAND DEVELOPMENT
Contractor: Talley Construction, Inc.
Landscape Architecture and Engineering: Lose & Associates
Cost: $2.8 million
STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS
Contractor: Talley Construction, Inc.
Land Planning: Lose & Associates
Creation of 3.9 million gallon holding basin
Creation of 2.87 million gallon pump station
System designed to handle five-year rain storm
Cost: $1.9 million
CONSTRUCTION OF WASTEWATER STORAGE FACILITY (LOCATED BEHIND FROST STADIUM)
Contractor: Haren Construction Company
Engineering: CTI
Estimated cost: $4.7 million
Estimated date of completion: Second quarter of 2009
ZOO DEVELOPMENT
Contractor: Pointe Construction
Architect: Billingsly Architects
Cost: $3,910,957 (funds mostly provided by private concerns.)
