The City of College Station recently broke ground on the new Texas Independence Ballpark, for which Vaughn Construction is serving as the general contractor. The new ballpark will include four baseball fields, batting cages, a concession stand, and other related amenities, including its own parking lot. As the first hardball field of its caliber in the area, this new ballpark will put College Station on the map for competitive baseball tournaments.
City officials gathered alongside prominent community members and key business partners, including members of our Vaughn project team, to celebrate the groundbreaking milestone. The ceremony carried its baseball theme from beginning to end with decorative baseball mitt balloons, popular game day snacks, and custom-made baseballs for attendees to take home. Even the shovels used to break ground were on-theme and had handles made of wooden baseball bats. Most notably, City of College Station Mayor Karl Mooney was presented with a baseball signed by members of the Astros.
Among the event’s attendees was Edward McDonald, a City of College Station project manager, who applauded the new facility’s potential impact on the community. He said, “Texas Independence Ballpark at Midtown, College Station has been in the planning process for many years. Our Parks & Recreation Department oversees many excellent facilities but has lacked a facility dedicated to baseball.”
Mr. McDonald continued, “This project begins correcting the deficiency and will serve local baseball groups and will also serve to promote College Station as a destination for the growing number of travel baseball events and teams. Our geographic location is readily accessible from most of the major population centers within the State of Texas and, as the Home of Texas A&M University, is nationally known and able to market to regional and national events. We look forward to working with Vaughn Construction to make this project another four-diamond facility for our Parks & Recreation Department.”
Photo by Theresa Campbell of AEC Image Solutions
Because this project will directly impact the City of College Station, it holds a special significance for many members of our Vaughn project team. The project’s senior project manager explained, “Many members of the Vaughn project team grew up in this community, and our excitement is not only about the construction of the facility, but also to see our kids, families, and friends all playing on the fields as well.”
He continued, “This is an exciting project for Vaughn Construction’s Central Texas Special Projects team because it will be the City of College Station Parks & Recreation’s first hardball facility. It will be a first-class amenity attracting teams, leagues, and tournaments from T-Ball to adult leagues from all over. This kind of sporting venue helps further influence the rapidly growing tourism and economic influence in the region, but the true community impact from a project like this plays out over many generations to come.”
The new Texas Independence Ballpark will serve the City of College Station for years to come, and Vaughn is proud to help improve our community through this project. We look forward to sharing more information as this project progresses.