‘The Land,’ Saraland’s $72 Million Sports Complex, Set to Open This Fall
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This fall, the city of Saraland’s massive, $72 million sports complex called “The Land,” will open, and construction is underway now. Last week, the Saraland City Council awarded White-Spunner Construction in Mobile a $24.3 million contract to build the recreation center as well as some of the fields. And an official groundbreaking for The Land will be held next month, said Saraland Mayor Howard Rubenstein.
The 100-acre sports complex will consist of the outside complex and an indoor recreation center, featuring a number of different amenities, including:
- Eight baseball and softball fields
- Five fields that can be used for football, soccer, field hockey or lacrosse
- Three tennis courts
- Three beach volleyball courts, eight indoor volleyball courts
- Six outdoor pickleball courts and 12 indoor pickleball courts
- Four basketball courts
- An outdoor track and an indoor track
- Concession and ticketing stands
Rubenstein said the city obtained bond financing for the project. There will be some fees to use the facilities, he says, but the exact structure has not been determined. In any case, the fees will be discounted for Saraland residents, he says.
The outdoor fields are slated to open by November of this year, Rubenstein says, and the entire facility is supposed to be completed by June 2025.
Since the formation of Saraland City Schools in 2008, the school system has been the primary driver of the town’s growth, Rubenstein says. But sports facilities for the schools and the town’s recreational sports leagues have been lacking. The Land will be able to provide more recreational opportunities not just for youth sports, but for the whole family, he says.
“As we’re growing, we’re looking for quality growth, not just quantity growth, and improved recreational facilities was almost number one on everybody’s wish list, what we needed to continue to grow into the premier place to live, work and play, which is our mission statement,” Rubenstein said. “I think it’s just very logical that this would be the next step toward improving quality of life for the people who live here.”
Saraland resident Daniel Givens, who lives near the site is excited for The Land to open. As a coach in Saraland’s recreational youth sports leagues, he says recreational sports have struggled with the limited facilities the city has. The Land will give Saraland the opportunity to host tournaments and expand sports opportunities.
“It’s going to be interesting to watch it grow, and it will be used for exercise and entertainment,” Givens says. “I won’t be involved in youth sports forever, so it will be nice to watch sports there.”
The Land will have a design distinct from other sports complexes in the region because of the site’s unique topography, Preston York, a Project Manager with HPM says. The site where it’s being built is a former dirt pit carved into a hillside. The fields will all be at different elevations, and visitors will be able to walk to high points and look down at games going on at other fields.
“There’s nothing in south Alabama that has this kind of capability and capacity for any of these sports,” York says. “It’s a cool opportunity for all of south Alabama, including Baldwin County and Mobile, to utilize this facility moving forward in any of these sports leagues, including recreation and tournament play.”
Ashley Nichole Flowers, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Saraland, emphasizes that it’s more than just a youth sports center. It’s a “one-stop shop” for any recreational activities that residents may want.
“It’s open for all, it’s not just kids, it’s parents and grandparents, it’s intergenerational,” Flowers says. “I do not think our community knows what’s coming, it’s not just a sports complex, it’s a unique combination of everything you could want in a recreation facility.”
In addition to White-Spunner, the City of Saraland is working with HPM, a project management company based in Birmingham. Auburn-based Rabren Construction was awarded a $24.8 million contract for Phase I of the construction. A turfing company will be hired to turf all the fields, York says, though one has not been selected yet.
Last month, the city selected KemperSports Venues, a sports facilities management company based in Northbrook, Ill., to manage the facility once it is opened.
Givens says Saraland residents are excited about The Land. The forthcoming sports facility has driven more interest in the city’s recreational sports, he says.
“It’s huge. It’s been something that people in the area knew was coming, but they never thought it was going to happen,” Givens says. “People see the effort, and they want to come back [to recreational sports].”
