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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABSTER – The city of Alabaster has approved renovations to Larry Simmons Stadium with some of them planned to finish in time for football season.

During an Alabaster City Council meeting on Monday, April 24, the council awarded a bid for the renovations of Larry Simmons Stadium to Clements Dean Building Company in the amount of $4,693,220.

Councilmember Zach Zahariadis shared that the initial bid was around $6 million, but the teams in the city worked together to shave down the cost.

City Administrator Brian Binzer said the renovations project will add a new entry point into the stadium with a covering. Some of the stadium will be reskinned with stone or metal, and there will be a new concession, new bathrooms and new gates.

“We’re also going to redo the track and put a new cover on top of it,” Binzer said. “It’s going to be more like a walking trail.”

There will also be detail improvements with new fencing, new lights, pressure washed bleachers and a fresh coat of paint.

“When you come back to the stadium, when it’s all said and done, it’s going to feel pretty new,” Binzer said.

The bulk of the work on Larry Simmons Stadium is planned to be finished by the beginning of football season.

“We’ve got a tight timeline to get most of the work before football season starts in August,” Binzer said. “There’ll be some things that we’ll work around, the more critical things, we’re going to have everything ready for football season. The final conclusion of the project will probably be towards the end of the year.”

Public Relations Manager Neil Wagner shared his excitement for the upcoming project.

“It’s exciting to see this project move forward to transform and modernize the historic Larry Simmons Stadium to provide a first-class experience to kids and families who take part in the city’s youth sports leagues,” Wagner said. “Once these renovations are complete, Alabaster’s children will have a venue second to none in our area.”