Ballpark beamed up
Last of major steel work finished at Harrison Square stadium
With shouts of “Play Ball!” from two construction workers, the final major piece of steel was fastened in the downtown Harrison Square ballpark.
Dozens of dignitaries, contractors and fans lined up to autograph the final 20-foot steel beam Tuesday morning before it was raised and locked in place.
The “topping off” ceremony signifies the completion of a project’s major steel work, and developers said people should soon begin seeing the ballpark take shape.
Mayor Tom Henry called the ballpark the greatest thing to happen to downtown in his lifetime.
“This truly sets the stage for a whole new era for downtown Fort Wayne,” he said.
The ballpark is part of the $130 million Harrison Square project, which includes a Courtyard by Marriott with parking garage, private condominium/retail building and the $30 million ballpark. The park is scheduled to be ready by opening day 2009.
Chris Schoen, CEO of Barry Real Estate, which is developing the condominiums, said Tuesday’s work marked an important milestone in the ballpark’s construction, which is ahead of schedule and under budget. Barry Real Estate is a partner with Hardball Capital, the owner of the Fort Wayne Wizards.
Schoen said he would also be announcing “terrific news” regarding the condominium project but didn’t give specifics. He said his company has made “tremendous” progress on the project, which has yet to begin construction. In May he told the City Council that five of the 62 condominiums had been sold.
Henry said he and his wife, Cindy, are still looking at whether they can afford one of the condominiums. Henry said he is one of several people concerned about selling existing homes in a slow housing market.
“This may have slowed down the actual process, but it hasn’t slowed down the enthusiasm,” Henry said.
Jim Irwin, project manager for Barry Real Estate, said the company has selected vendors for stadium lighting, seating and a scoreboard and will release details later.
Scotty Smuts, 71, of Fort Wayne, was in Tuesday’s crowd. Smuts operates the Wizards’ scoreboard at Memorial Stadium, but he said he likes the idea of a new downtown park.
“I’ll miss going to Wizards Stadium,” he said. “I wish there was some way they could save it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Smuts said he planned to sign the beam, which had numerous signatures before being erected.
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Men followed him in little packs, looking for a chance to slip into his company and shake his hand or pat his back.