Construction crews are working two shifts, seven days a week to complete a new 5,500-seat, $20-million state-of-the-art stadium in Pearl, MS, for a Braves minor league baseball team.
The farm team is moving from Greenville, SC, to become the Mississippi Braves. An agreement for a new stadium in Mississippi prompted the team’s decision to move. The class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves decided earlier this year to move to Pearl in time for the 2005 season. The team has been renamed the Mississippi Braves.
Bloomfield Properties is developing the property and building the stadium. Yates Construction is the general contractor. Amenities included in the stadium include corporate suites, dining and group activity areas and large play areas for children.
“On behalf of all Mississippians, we are very excited to be affiliated with such a world class organization,” said Gov. Haley Barbour. “Having the Braves AA affiliate located in Pearl is a home run for this state.”
Site clearing began in July and the project will be completed by March 1, 2005. The team begins its home schedule April 18, 2005, in Pearl versus the Montgomery Biscuits.
“The site development activities are approximately 50 percent complete. Site construction is under way and approximately 15 percent complete,” said Mark Smith, project executive, of Yates Construction.
Smith said an unusual aspect to the project are the existing wetlands, which the company has taken great care to protect.
“The biggest challenge we have had to date is working efficiently given the small amount of real estate –– until the wetlands permits are approved,” said David Dykes, senior project manager, of Yates Heavy Construction Division.“We have mitigated this somewhat by cooperation between the heavy and commercial divisions of Yates.”
Construction personnel are working on approximately two-thirds of the available site, due to wetlands constraints. Smith added that wetlands permits are expected soon.
Crews will place approximately 10,000 cu. yds. of concrete and 1,000 tons of structural steel.
Dykes said dirt work has been part of the project. Roughly 95,000 cu. yds. of material has been excavated from the site.
“A substantial portion of this material was suitable for use elsewhere on the site and relocated,” he said. “The remainder, comprised mostly of topsoil, has been moved to some of our borrow pits for use in reclamation work. At the completion of the project, roughly 300,000 cubic yards of material will be brought into the site to properly shape the stadium complex.”
Heavy equipment at the site includes a 150-ton Link-Belt 518 crane. A Grove 65-ton hydraulic crane is being used to assemble the boom sections and counterweights of the Link-Belt. The Link-Belt, which has a lifting capacity of 200 tons, will be used to place concrete, set concrete forms and for steel erection.
Frank Collingsworth, project superintendent, of Yates, said there are day and night shifts of personnel.
“The challenge with double shifts is planning,” added Smith. “Providing a safe workplace requires the area to be well lit for traffic, and adequate task lighting needs to be provided in work areas. Night shift work requires detailed task plans be prepared in advance to ensure adequate materials and equipment are on hand to support the work. You can’t run down to the builder’s supply house at night to pick materials that may be needed.”
Smith said the project will require 20 to 30 subcontractors in trades such as structural steel erection, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, drywall, painting and electrical. Yates is self performing the concrete work.
Yates has had extensive experience in constructing athletic stadiums and wellness centers. Projects have included Noble Field at Mississippi State University; an expansion at Louisiana State University’s stadium; a stadium for the AA baseball team, the Montgomery Biscuits; a renovation of sky boxes at the University of Tennessee; the Healthplex at Mississippi College and a new stadium complex at Biloxi High School in Mississippi.
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