City approves $600,000 for improvements to Hoover Met
With the Birmingham Barons moving out, Hoover is readying the former Regions Park for what’s on the horizon.
On Feb. 18, the council accepted a bid of $450,000 from Duncan Thompson Construction Services, LLC to perform multiple upgrades and renovations to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. According to Mayor Gary Ivey, these include:
- Upgrading baseball facilities by building two new bullpens and pitching mounds, improving dugouts with new flooring, and replacing fences.
- Improving seating by repainting aluminum seat backs guard rails and hand rails.
- Removing or painting over Regions Park signage and replacing with signs that signal the return of Hoover Met.
Hoover approved up to $600,000 to spend on the upgrades, which includes the cost of creating the new signs.
“As large as The Met is, we consider it an ongoing work-in-progress,” Ivey said, indicating the City performs renovations and upkeep on the facility each year. “We like to keep everything there up to speed so we won’t get hit with huge project all at once.”
Ivey said the Barons were wonderful partners with the City, but Hoover is looking forward to bringing in new attractions to The Met. Events like the SEC Baseball and NCAA Soccer Tournaments, Ivey said, not only attract visitors from across the country but also keep them here overnight.
“We feel we’re going to bring some things here that really help the city,” Ivey said. “For example, we sold 21,000 tickets to people from 43 states for the NCAA Soccer Championship, and they booked hotels all over the city.”
The Hoover Met Upcoming Events:
UAB Baseball v. Alabama. March 26, 6:30 p.m. The Blazers are coming off a big season in 2012, when they won their first Conference USA Tournament Championship and advanced to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 1991.
SEC Baseball Tournament. May 21-27. Last year, the tournament drew 129,112 fans to The Hoover Met, a new record-high for the event. The tournament is scheduled to be played in Hoover through 2016.
Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. June 5. Part of a five-day tour from Arlington, Texas to Concord, N.C., the family friendly event is slated to draw 5,000 cars and 75,000 spectators.