Downtown stadium gets review, project approvals
The Harrison Square baseball stadium plans received more key approvals Thursday, but some changes will be required for sewer and stormwater systems.
Plans for the $30 million stadium were reviewed by city and county staff to ensure they meet the standards of 12 departments, including health and fire protection.
Greg Leatherman, executive director of redevelopment, said the stadium plans got almost all the necessary approvals, but the design for the sewer systems requires changes. Leatherman said the changes on the stadium, set to open in 2009, won’t hinder the stadium’s construction.
“It doesn’t delay anything,” he said. “There are 35 people on the job right now; they are not stopping.”
Leatherman said the issues on the plans include having to relocate manholes to provide better access to the pipes if they become clogged. Of course, moving access points to the sewer pipes typically means the actual pipes need to be moved, Leatherman said, which takes time to design.
He said the city agrees with the changes, which have been discussed at previous meetings, but they haven’t been completed. By next week, the drawings should be changed to comply with the suggestions, he said.
The changes shouldn’t increase the project’s cost, Leatherman said, as it is a normal part of the development.
Harrison Square is a $125 million public-private development that includes a Courtyard by Marriott with parking garage, a privately owned condominium/retail building and the city’s stadium. It is on the southwest corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street downtown.
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