Sign at the location of the LakePoint Sporting Community development. (Doug Walker, RN-T.com)
“We are going to move roughly 15 million cubic yards of dirt, a little more than what was moved for the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia,” said Judy Sparks, a partner and chief marketing officer for the development group.
A trio of partners, including former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox and two of his longtime assistants — Ned Yost, who now manages the Kansas City Royals, and Fredi Gonzalez, the Braves’ current skipper — are expected to be on hand for the groundbreaking along with Gov. Nathan Deal.
LakePoint is a 1,200-acre development that encompasses virtually all of the property along the west side of Interstate 75 between the Allatoona-Red Top and the Emerson-Allatoona exits.
The development will feature 16 major-league size baseball fields, 16 fast-pitch softball and junior baseball fields, 14 lacrosse and soccer fields and two Miracle League fields.
All of the outdoor sporting venues will be covered with synthetic turf provided by Shaw, another development partner.
The sporting community will also feature a 100,000 square foot indoor facility that could be used for a multitude of events ranging from gymnastics and cheerleading to wrestling, volleyball and basketball.
Wake Park Atlanta LLC closed on the purchase of 20 acres, just south of the Emerson-Allatoona exit which will be the home to Terminus Wake Park, the largest cable wakeboard park in the country.
The complex will also include 5 million square feet of mixed-use development consisting of commercial, retail and entertainment options.
This summer, LakePoint partner Neal Freeman told the Rome Rotary Club that Rawlings had committed to building sporting goods superstore and Hall of Fame Restaurant overlooking left field of the main baseball stadium. Other signed leases at the time included Mellow Mushroom, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Menchie’s Yogurt.
Full construction activity will get under way within a couple of months and developers expect the first sporting activity to be scheduled in the spring of 2014.
Developers claim that the complex may initially provide 2,400 jobs when it first comes on line.
The mixed-use section of the complex is slated to host hotels, restaurants and a variety of shopping opportunities, all designed to bring families in for the sporting activity — and families would never have to leave the complex for lodging, entertainment and shopping.
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