[StBernard] Ground breaking today at 10:30 a.m. at $20 million recreational facility in Chalmette

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Fri Feb 13 20:39:31 EST 2009


St. Bernard to hold ground breaking today at 10:30 a.m. at Val Riess Park

Massive recreation complex undergoing over $20 million in construction

With concrete being poured, St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro
Jr. and Parish Council members will hold a ground breaking ceremony today,
Friday, Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at Val Riess Park in Chalmette to celebrate
the progress at the 33-acre facility in the heart of Chalmette that promises
to be a premier recreational complex when more than $20 million in
construction is completed.

"Our Recreation Department and the improvements to our facilities have been
and will be an engine for our Growth, both financially and socially,"
President Taffaro said. "The Val Riess project will accomplish this."

The work at Val Riess at the northern end of Palmisano Boulevard in
Chalmette - financed by a combination of FEMA and Community Development
Block Grant funds - is being done in four phases that ultimately will
include eight baseball fields, two large concession stands, a 47,000-square
foot massive multi-purpose building and a mini-water park.

"This facility is so important to the recovery of our parish," said Donny
Bourgeois, Director of Parks and Recreation for St. Bernard Parish. "In
addition to our recreational and All-Star games, we are going to host
baseball and softball tournaments, regional tournaments, World Series and
adult cabbage ball and softball leagues."

Work on Phase 1 started at the end of 2008 and should be completed by April
- meaning the parish will have four new baseball fields, a concession stand,
covered seating and a shelter house/pavilion for visitors by the beginning
of baseball season. The trail that encompasses the park's exterior perimeter
also will be completed as a 9-foot wide trail with lanes dedicated to both
cyclists and walkers.

Construction crews already have cleared the site and prepared the
underground drainage and electrical work. On Friday, concrete for the
parking lot will be poured. Thigpen Construction is in charge of the Phase 1
work.

Phase 2, which will be advertised for bids shortly, will feature four
baseball fields with two being designed to host high school and college
games. This phase also will feature a three-story concession stand that will
include a lounge for eating and viewing the games on the third floor.

Phase 3 will include the 47,000-square foot multi-purpose building that will
host events, such as basketball tournaments, professional boxing and
Ultimate Fighting Contests. It will also be available to host trade shows,
conventions and Mardi Gras balls. Construction on that facility, which will
be four times larger than the current Grand Ballroom at the Frederick Sigur
Civic Center, will begin in the fall and should take just under two years to
build.

Phase 4 will include a water park with a FlowRider, a sheet wave attraction
used for surfing.

For more information about the Recovery and Growth of St. Bernard Parish,
please visit our website at www.sbpg.net.

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