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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – The city of Alabaster approved a nearly $9 million bid for renovations to “Peanut” Jim Davenport Field and Stadium during a special called city council meeting on Thursday, June 1.

The city council approved a bid for the renovation of “Peanut” Jim Davenport Field in the amount of $8,997,000 to Clements Dean Building Company.

“While the price tag is a significant one, it is a huge step forward to accomplish our goal of creating a city center for our residents,” Alabaster Mayor Scott Brakefield said. “You see us doing Larry Simmons Stadium right now, we’ll do ‘Peanut” Jim Davenport under this bid as well as additional parking. And, eventually, the rec. center and commercial development that will allow restaurants and different things to come.”

The council called a special meeting for the renovations of “Peanut” Jim Davenport Field due to the project’s timely nature with the goal of getting the work done early 2024.

“This is part of the (Alabaster) Fast Forward program,” Brakefield said. “Proceeds from the 1 cent sales tax increase will be utilized and allocated to be able to pay some of these projects that are on-going right now.”

The bid for the “Peanut” Davenport Field renovations includes the football field, baseball field and both parking lots.

“It’s a complete overhaul of ‘Peanut’ Davenport field,” City Administrator Brian Binzer said. “That includes the bleachers, the buildings, the entire ball field is going to be reskinned with new artificial turf. We’re going to pave the parking lot, not just there but also at Larry Simmons Stadium as well.”

Included in the approved bid is an incentive package of up to $50,000 if Clements Dean Building Company finishes the project in a timely manner.

“We made a commitment to the school board that we would have it available for the next season,” Binzer said. “That portion of it is very, very important to the city to get done in a timely fashion and we added this incentive as a measure to address that.”

The contracted company will have until Feb. 1 to be done with the playing surface, bathrooms, scoreboard and everything necessary for playing baseball games. Clements Dean Building Company will receive $1,000 from the incentive package for each day it finishes early of the Feb. 1 deadline up to a total $50,000.

The Alabaster City Council also approved a resolution to purchase lighting materials from Musco Sports Lighting, LLC through AL Sourcewell Cooperative Contract in the amount of $174,500.

Tim Hamm explained to the council that this purchase allows the city to save around $17,000 by allowing Alabaster to separately purchase the lighting materials from a cooperative.