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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Progress has been made on the Veterans Park renovation project in the city of Alabaster.

A contractor has been working on Alabaster’s Veterans Park the past several weeks to bring several renovations, including new turf for the baseball fields as well as pickleball courts and an enlargement to the park’s front pond. Extensive steps are being undertaken by the contractor to ensure no wildlife is harmed in or around the pond during its expansion.

“Veterans Park is Alabaster’s premier park, and we’re excited to reinvest and keep it as one of the top amenities for our residents,” said Neal Wagner, public relations manager for the city of Alabaster.

The city of Alabaster included $3 million worth of improvements to Veterans Park in the planned budget for the 2024 fiscal year.

“They’re making great progress,” Wagner said. “The gravel foundation has been laid for the baseball fields, and they’re preparing to pour the foundations for the turf fields now. They’re also almost complete with enlarging the park’s front pond and installing lighting upgrades in the parking lot and should begin work on the pickleball courts soon.”

The second phase of the project involves renovations to the five diamond fields in the park and providing them with new turf. There will also be upgrades to the spectator areas, including shade improvements.

The current playground is set to be upgraded and moved to the back of the park, closer to the restrooms. Renovations for the facility’s parking lots are planned as well as renovations for both ponds. There are also plans for a total of eight pickleball courts.

Reworked landscaping is also planned with additional seating for the veteran’s memorial area of the park.

Once upgrades are in place, the city plans to work with local veteran groups to design and create multiple plinths honoring local veterans.