GREENWOOD – The Greenwood Sports Park has announced the opening of eight hybrid turf fields designed for baseball and softball tournaments.
Managed by Greenwood Parks and Recreation, these fields are not open for public use but can be rented by contacting the city's parks department.
The department's director says the $10 milion, 40 acre project is just what the city needs.
"We fully expect an embrace of all the tournament directors," said Greenwood Parks and Recreation Director Rob Taggart. "Come spring and summer next year, we should have just a wonderful quality tournaments out here."
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers says it's exactly what the city needs.
“It's a parks amenity that we didn't have that now we do," Myers said. "We want to bring the travel teams in. We want people to see Greenwood, to see what Greenwood has to offer.”
Sports tourism has boosted many local economies including Westfield.
The Hamilton County city has operated Grant Park for a decade and it brought 3.5 million visitors to the city in 2022.
“We want the sports tourism to build in the community. We want this area out here by the interstate to continue to build," Myers said.
The new park offers 8 baseball/softball diamonds, a splash pad, a park, a cricket pitch, and concessions.
It's the latest addition to Greenwood, a city looking to evolve.
"People are coming here for a reason, and that reason is because we do offer the many different things for their families," Myers said.
"You don't have to go to the north side anymore. You don't have to go clear down to Columbus. It's right here in Greenwood.”
The park is set to have it's grand opening on Friday and it's first softball tournament this weekend.
