Project Highlight
For the 100 acre, second phase of the Voice of America MetroPark, Bayer Becker, as designers, integrated into the overall park design a regional sports complex with area-wide recreational facilities to create something unique to Southwest Ohio. Bayer Becker’s design will feature a venue to attract soccer, baseball, & softball teams from a multi-state market to participate in a first class environment on both grass and future synthetic fields. An integral community green will serve as host to awards ceremonies, vendor displays, exhibitions, and passive strolling. The design also incorporates a dog park with water features, playgrounds including an all-inclusive playground, hiking paths, cross county paths, basketball and tennis courts, and picnic and shelter areas.
Cost control for a project of this size is vital. The volume of earthwork for the project is substantial, but by balancing the earthwork on the site Bayer Becker is able to help control costs. Careful calculations mean fill material won’t have to be hauled into or out of the site. Water features for the project, such as lakes and ponds, serve multiple purposes. Their excavation creates fill material that can be used for other areas of the project, such as spectator viewing areas for the central soccer fields. The water features also provide storm water management for the project and can serve as future irrigation for the fields if the need arises.
With the number of fields being added, handling traffic volumes was another major design challenge. The parking lots were designed to be continuous flow, meaning there will be no dead ends or turnaround areas. This design will help ensure a smooth traffic flow both into and out of the park as well as keep traffic from backing up onto the adjacent roadways.
The entire facility will be constructed over a five to six year period preserving existing areas used during successive construction phases until completion. Bayer Becker’s experience with large scale projects combined with our multi-discipline capabilities and proximity to the site ensure the MetroParks of a park for all ages that will be unique to the area.
