Voice of America Park athletic complex to be the ‘envy of other communities’
WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 12 stories of 2012 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year on Sunday, Dec. 30.
The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 for their $3 million project that will add 22 multipurpose natural grass athletic fields on 100 acres of Voice of America Park in West Chester Township.
Photo is of phase 1 of the MetroParks of Butler County’s enhancement plan for Voice of America Park. As part of that phase, there will be 22 multipurpose athletic fields (click to enlarge) at the park in West Chester.
Based on an economic impact study conducted by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the 22 multipurpose fields are projected to bring in $20 million in indirect and direct spending, 200,000 new hotel room requests and 21,000 participants annually by year five after the complex opens (2019).
“With all the amenities that surround the park, the new fields will be something that will be sought after and ultimately will be the envy of other communities that not only surround us, but are also in our region,” said Mark Hecquet, executive director at the visitors bureau.
Photo of the entire Voice of America enhancement plan. Click to enlarge.
Other improvements that are to be incrementally added over time include the addition of softball and baseball diamonds, as well as an amphitheater and expansion to its dog park.
Park officials are also already considering changing the growing grass fields to artificial turf, which will lower maintenance cost, decrease rainouts and allow for longer sports seasons.
Currently, MetroParks is looking for other organizations or businesses to collaborate to help provide funding for the other phases.
The park has already become a destination for larger scale sporting events. Just this past August, the VOA Park hosted the USA Triathlon Youth Junior National Championships and the WWA Wakeboard National Championships.
