New Lee County Athletic Park Opens

Article from the Sanford Herald

If you build it, they will come.

So they did Saturday with the opening of the Lee County Athletic Park, the culmination of years of planning, work and financial planning.

“What was designed on paper … It’s completely different,” former County Manager John Crumpton said.

He was the county manager in 2015 when the first steps to create a park began. He credited Amy Dalrymple, former chair of the county commissioners, and former Sanford Mayor Chet Mann for being part of the process.

Champion Road, off Broadway Road at the U.S. 421 Bypass, marks the entrance to the 115-acre athletic complex, which is located on land partially donated by Mark Stewart and land formerly owned by the Poe family.

The complex includes four baseball fields and three designated for softball, six multipurpose soccer fields, a nature trail and play areas for children.

The opening ceremony came after a flyover by the six-plane Bullseye Flight Team, with contrails behind each one, that appeared shortly after the National Anthem.

While there is no official headcount for those in attendance, it’s safe to say that it was more than 2,000.

Champion Court winds its way past the upper fields and a concession area for food trucks. It continues past the soccer fields, the playground area and ends near more fields.

The park has two field houses with locker rooms and restrooms as well as two additional restroom facilities for the public.

Saturday’s event included music, food and the opportunity to test out some of the fields. Several people were playing with a soccer ball on one of the fields.

Gold soccer balls were presented to officials after the main celebration.

Chase Leake attended the ceremony but had to leave to take his child to another ball game. He took a minute to offer his thoughts about the park.

“It’s good. I think this is just want Sanford needs,” Leake said.

Voters approved a $25 million bond referendum in 2020, supported by “Lee Grow, Play, Succeed,” a group that campaigned for the measure.

However, the cost soared with inflation in the post-coronavirus economy. The estimated price was $60 million. County staff managed to get the cost down to about $40 million and the commissioners agreed to provide an additional $15 million.

Sanford Contractors was awarded the contract for construction. McAdams Co. designed the project.