Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas officials soon will break ground on improvements — $46 million worth — to Freedom Park.
Upgrades will include the construction of six lighted “replica” major league fields for baseball and softball, which would replicate parts of the designs of famous ball fields including Fenway Park in Boston and Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
The project, officially called the Big League Dreams Sports Park, also will include an indoor sports pavilion and batting cage. Sports league officials have said such a park could attract large national baseball and softball tournaments.
Other improvements are slated for the 68-acre park, at North Mojave Road and Washington Avenue, including renovation of the Little League ball fields and construction of two lighted soccer fields. Basketball courts, a building for concessions, a new exercise area and a jogging path are also planned.
Plans call for the city to build the park and a private operator to run it.
The long-planned project is being funded by the city and the federal Bureau of Land Management through the sale of authorized public lands.
There has been controversy over the price of the project and plans to charge patrons entrance fees. As of early 2006, when revised plans were released, entrance fees were estimated at $2 to $2.50.
The ceremonial groundbreaking is planned for Monday Ward 3 Councilman Gary Reese turning the first shovel. The projects are expected to take 14 months to complete.
The improvements plan has been in the works for years. It initially went before the City Council in late 2005.
At that time, in addition to Fenway and Wrigley, the sports park was to include replica versions of Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, New York’s Yankee Stadium, the old Crosley Field in Cincinnati and the beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field.
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The Las Vegas Valley’s population crush in recent years has brought traffic snarls, and not just at major highway interchanges such as the Spaghetti Bowl.
Often it takes local government years to address the problems created at smaller intersections.
According to a news release from Las Vegas’ Public Works Department, work has finally been completed on a right-hand turn lane on westbound Charleston Boulevard at its busy intersection with Valley View Boulevard.
Ward 1 Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian said the project had been “on the books” for as long as 15 years. It had long been demanded by residents because of the frequency of rear-end accidents. But until NV Energy agreed to move power transmission poles early last year, the $350,000 project couldn’t get off the ground.
The intersection handles about 60,000 cars a day, city officials said.
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The holiday season is around the corner, and the city is sponsoring an array of free and inexpensive concerts, plays and poetry readings.
On Dec. 6, the city is sponsoring a free concert by the Las Vegas Wind Quintet, who will perform holiday and classical compositions. The concert is at 2 p.m., and will be at Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
On Dec. 19, the city brings the Rick Arroyo Latin Jazz Trio to Reed Whipple at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Also at 7 that evening, a poets corner is planned at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, at 947 West Lake Mead Blvd.
The readings will include established poets and an open mic for poets with a dream and some sweet-sounding verse just itching to be shared.
For information on these and other city cultural programs, go to http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/information/3005.htm
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