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Huntington Park Construction Underway

Click here to view the Huntington Park Webcam

Huntington Park Project receives $7 million from Ohio Cultural Facilites Commission

The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $7 million at its quarterly meeting for the Huntington Park project.

The ballpark will be located in the Arena District, on the northwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue in downtown Columbus. It is set to revitalize the city’s urban core with its innovative design that accommodates the disabled and features various family-friendly and sustainable “green” aspects.

The 200,000 square-foot, three-level building constructed from brick and steel will be “green.” It will feature an extroverted design approach that leads to a significant reduction in spaces requiring air-conditioning. Huntington Park reclaims the blighted urban Brownfield site that is in desperate need of a cleanup. The design protects farmland and open green spaces surrounding the city. It also utilizes existing parking facilities serving the daytime workforce population
resulting in a significant reduction in land-use requirements.

The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows Franklin County to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 699 of the 126th General Assembly.

Commissioners Approve New Playing Field

At the recommendation of the project team, Commissioners ‘went
to the bullpen’ and called in a new consultant to redesign the playing field for Huntington Park, the future home of the Columbus Clippers.

The original consultant recommended a “sand cap” design, which has a thinner profile that would have allowed more cover over the top of a 96-inch sewer line that runs through the site.

Many contractors had shied away from bidding because of the liability concerns for the installation of a field that would not provide a guarantee of long term performance. Following a redesign by Millennium Sports Technologies, Inc., the contract for the installation of the playing field will re-bid.

The new "USGA" field design is the same as what is currently installed at Cooper Stadium, current home of the Clippers, and at Columbus Crew Stadium. Prior to the installation of Prescription Athletic Turf last year in Ohio Stadium, Buckeye football was played on this same type of surface.

Opening Night 2008 for the Columbus Clippers is April 3rd at 7:05. This will be Cooper Stadium’s last season.

Huntington Park is scheduled to open in 2009. The project remains on-time and under-budget.

Stadium Project On-Budget and On-Schedule

Contracts for Stadium Seating, Sound and Video Approved

Commissioners have approved contracts with two Ohio companies for stadium seating, sound and video work necessary to complete the Huntington Park project on-budget and on-schedule.

Farnham Equipment Company of Westerville, Ohio was deemed to be the lowest and best bidder for the seating package and was awarded a contract in the amount of $659,000. This contract involves the furnishing and installation of all fixed seating for the 10,000-seat Huntington Park stadium in the Arena District.

SoundCom Systems, based in Northeast Ohio, was chosen to perform the sound and video package and is ranked among the top 25 systems integrators by Systems Contractor News, and has ranked among the top 50 since 2004. SoundCom Systems has done work at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Akron Art Museum, and Saddle Creek Records Slowdown Club in Omaha, Nebraska.

SoundCom Systems was the lowest and best bidder on the sound and video package and was awarded a contract in the amount of $658,811 and will furnish and install outside speakers, broadcast cabling system components and provide all work related to the sound and television systems at Huntington Park.

Commissioners noted that Farnham Equipment Company and SoundCom Systems both meet the County’s Quality Contracting Standards adopted in 2002.

County, City and State Officials Join Corporate Sponsors and Community to Break Ground for Clippers New Stadium

On August 2nd, Several hundred central Ohio community members joined government officials and business leaders to break ground on Huntington Park – the home of the Columbus Clippers Triple-A professional baseball team starting in 2009.

Huntington Park is scheduled to be fully operational for Opening Day 2009 at the northwest corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue. Large-scale excavation is scheduled to begin this fall with structural steel erection slated for spring 2008, masonry work in summer 2008, field development in fall 2008 and seat installation in winter 2008.

Click to view slide show of Huntington Park

Commissioner Marilyn Brown Marilyn Brown