Starkville prepares for Cornerstone Park grand opening
Not only is it making a ripple in the area of recreation, but they are hoping to bring a rising tide for the economy.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Opening Day is almost here for Cornerstone Park, but the process to get here has already taken extra innings.
General Manager of Starkville Parks and Recreation Brandon Doherty says they are starting to see the fruits of five years’ worth of labor.
“A lot of rain delays and supply (delays), we battled through COVID and sank barges. It’s been quite the ordeal,” Doherty said. “We have softball fields, baseball fields, we have playgrounds, we have a walking track. We have an opportunity to do a little bit of everything for the community.”
Not only is it making a ripple in the area of recreation, but they are hoping to bring a rising tide for the economy.
“We’re looking to be about $15 million of economic impact,” Doherty said. “Supporting community restaurants, community hotels, it’s not just baseball and softball, this is an event venue too.”
It doesn’t stop there, Cornerstone is designed to have an environmental impact by building energy-efficient modern technology into the park.
“We have LED lighting to help reduce electrical consumption,” Doherty said. “We have a tree program where we will be working with TVA to be planting additional trees throughout the community, and we have charging stations to help people use electricity instead of generators.”
The impact doesn’t stop in Starkville, Parks and Rec’s Whitney McCarter said the park is reaching people all over the nation.
“Different cities and states will come out here,” McCarter said. “This past weekend we had people from Louisiana, we got people from Dallas Texas, and all over the country trying to play baseball here. So, it’s a big opportunity.”
“We will make a major impact in taking a step forward for Starkville,” Doherty said.
The grand opening will be Friday, October 13. There will be a ribbon cutting and there will also be tours for those interested.
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