More improvements coming to softball fields at Mount Vernon’s Memorial Park

MOUNT VERNON — More improvements are coming to the softball fields at Memorial Park in Mount Vernon.

City council members got a look at the concept plan on Monday.

The concept hearkens back to the parks’ master plan goal to improve the fields and make them more usable for youth softball.

“The idea is to do this clover pattern, which is becoming very popular in not only softball but baseball as well, and having the four fields around a central concession stand,” Assistant City Engineer Quentin Platt said.

The city will proceed with three fields initially because Field 4 in the southeast quadrant of the cloverleaf would encroach on the existing restrooms and tennis courts.

“Until we know the future and what we’re doing there, we’re going to leave that fourth field on the back burner for the time being,” Platt said.

The plan is to remove and completely rebuild three fields with a new concession stand in the center. Improvements also include a new concession stand at the Babe Ruth field.

Platt said a professional field consultant advised the city to build the concession stands first. They will be done in time for opening day in 2026.

After the league finishes spring ball, the city will rebuild the softball fields. Rebuilding will take the rest of the summer and fall.

Recreation Director Jeff Derr and league officials are exploring alternate sites for fall ball. Sites could include Mount Vernon High School fields and other local baseball fields.

Relocating fall ball provides time to grow good turf before play starts in spring 2027.

Concession stands will meet health department standards

The concession stands are single-level with announcer and scoreboard operations. Platt said two-story announcer booths are no longer used.

“One of the biggest concerns that they have is you build a two-story announcer’s booth, and because it has to meet building codes, it has to be ADA accessible,” Platt explained.

That means either a ramp or an elevator to reach the second floor.

The concession stands will have wireless Bluetooth speakers and a microphone, which enables the announcers to operate from anywhere.

They also include restrooms, which will be open only during games at this point.

“We’ll be able to meet all the health department standards with this concession stand, which we haven’t been able to do very confidently for a while,” Platt said. “We’ve kind of been given an exemption for a number of years on our existing concession stands.”

To improve field drainage, one of the biggest complaints from league officials, crews will elevate the softball concession stand.

“Sometimes they can’t play on those fields, from what I understand, a couple of days. It’s really a hindrance not just to the league, but especially any tournament that they have planned,” Platt said.

“In order to fix the drainage, we have to bring the site up about 1 foot at the center so that it can drain properly away from everything else.”

An eye to the future

The current softball fields are not regulation. Fences will go from 250 feet to 200 feet, which Platt said is ideal for every level of play except men’s open.

“The direction that we’ve had from the administration and working with the rec director is to focus on the youth softball, because they’re really the ones who use it the most,” Platt said.

The new field design also aims to generate revenue in the future. Once crews install the fourth field, the city could enclose the entire cloverleaf area and hold a tournament within it.

“So you could rent out just that part of the park,” Platt said. “Currently you can’t really regulate people coming in and out of the park because they want to enjoy the park.”

Councilman Mel Severns suggested the city look into installing a turf infield on at least one field so that play can continue regardless of the weather. Turf also helps with field maintenance.

City council members suspended the rules and authorized the safety-service director to bid and contract for the Phase 1 improvements at their council meeting on Monday night.

In 2024, the city replaced the scoreboards for Field 2 and Field 3 and retrofitted the scoreboard at Field 4.

Earlier this year, crews removed the three concession/announcer stands and installed a new scoreboard on Field 1. Crews also reshaped the Babe Ruth field to bring it into proper elevation.