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.
The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
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.
Overall, this project is just phase 1 of a much larger enhancement plan for the biggest Butler County MetroPark. In comparison, fellow MetroParks Forest Run (almost 340 acres) and Rentschler Forest (almost 400 acres) are close in size to the 435-acre VOA Park. Meanwhile, in Hamilton County, Whitewater Forest with 4,345 acres and Winton Woods with 2,555 acres are significantly larger.
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.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
MetroParks breaks ground on VOA athletic complex – The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony last Wednesday 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. The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
Lakota Local Schools maintains rating – Michael D. Clark reported on the annual Ohio Report Cards – Southwest Ohio’s second-largest school system maintained its top state ranking while the area’s longest financially embattled district finally dropped a category, according to the annual Ohio Report Cards, released last Wednesday. Butler County’s Lakota Schools earned an Excellent with Distinction rating despite historically deep budget cuts in recent years.
BAE to sell commercial armored vehicles business – In a $10 million deal, defense contractor BAE Systems announced it is selling off its locally based commercial armored vehicles business that employs 134 workers, Alexander Coolidge of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Tuesday.
Zoning Commission approves ‘high end’ apartments in West Chester – Last week, the West Chester Zoning Commission approved two proposed apartment developments that could possibly feature rents greater than $1,200 per month. One of those developments, currently called The Cascades, will have its zoning change go before the West Chester Township Board of Trustees on Nov. 13.
White House Inn becomes Casa Bianca – The owner of Symmes Tavern in Fairfield has bought the venerable White House Inn in West Chester and has turned it into an Italian restaurant, Polly Campbell of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week. The name is simply a translation: Casa Bianca. The restaurant will have traditional Italian and traditional American on the menu.
Colerain defeats Lakota West in battle of unbeatens – In a battle of the top two teams in The Cincinnati Enquirer coaches’ poll, senior quarterback Alfred “L.A.” Ramsby carried Colerain from an early 17-0 deficit to a 57-44 win against Lakota West at Cardinal Stadium on a wet and chilly night in Colerain Township.
Supreme Court OK’s Ohio early voting – The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Ohioans to cast early in-person absentee ballots on the final three days before the Nov. 6 election, Barry M. Horstman of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Tuesday.
Bridge replacement on Rialto Road is complete – The Butler County Engineer’s Office announced last Tuesday that Rialto Road in West Chester Township is now open. A portion of the road had been closed since early July as the Rialto Road bridge over Mill Creek was replaced.
Lakota teen’s been to Barrackville and Romney – Matthew King, a 17-year-old Lakota East High school senior, recently created a Youtube Video highlighting two small towns in America, that just so happened to be named Romney and Barrackville. In the video, King talks to people on the street, through car windows, and people putting groceries in their cars about their views on the towns name, asking questions with only slight political implications.
Phoenix will phase out West Chester, Florence campuses – The University of Phoenix will phase out classes in West Chester and Florence, impacting 236 students, Cliff Peale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week. The sites have stopped accepting applications, and current students will have the choice of finishing their programs in traditional classrooms or converting to online classes.
The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony Wednesday 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.
The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
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.
Overall, this project is just phase 1 of a much larger enhancement plan for the biggest Butler County MetroPark. In comparison, fellow MetroParks Forest Run (almost 340 acres) and Rentschler Forest (almost 400 acres) are close in size to the 435-acre VOA Park. Meanwhile, in Hamilton County, Whitewater Forest with 4,345 acres and Winton Woods with 2,555 acres are significantly larger.
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.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
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.
Voice of America Park to add 22 multipurpose athletic fields- MetroParks of Butler County and The Butler County Visitors Bureau announced last Tuesday that they will celebrate an official ground breaking Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. for the new athletic complex at West Chester’s Voice of America Park. The athletic complex will feature 22 multipurpose natural grass fields, which are projected to be open for use by the fall of 2014.
Total Quality Logistics announces West Chester office – Total Quality Logistics announced last Monday it will open a West Chester office in November. It will be TQL’s fourth office in the region, and is expected to eventually employ up to 100 people. The office will be located at 8610 Jacquemin Drive.
School report card date set for Oct. 17 – Ohio will be handing out state report card ratings for districts and schools Oct. 17, state officials said last Tuesday, now that State Auditor Dave Yost’s investigations into enrollment and attendance manipulation is winding down for 100 schools around the state.
Lakota West (8-0 overall, 5-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) is off to its best start in history and will face Colerain (8-0 overall, 5-0 in the GMC) this week.
Lakota West improves to 8-0 with win against Middletown – After defeating Greater Miami Conference opponent Middletown Friday night, the 2012 Lakota West football team became the first in school history to begin a season with an 8-0 record. In the latest win, the Firebirds took a 27-0 lead late into the third quarter before holding onto to a 27-14 win at home.
Community has open conversation about Lakota’s present and future – Roughly 40 parent council members of the state’s seventh-largest school district met at Lakota West High School Wednesday to talk about concerns with the type of education their children currently receive and will receive in the future at Lakota schools. The discussion was part of Lakota’s new “Community Conversation” program, which began in late September and involves various community members hosting forums to help inform the school district on how to better serve its students.
Weekly farmers’ market schedule wraps up – The weekly West Chester farmers’ market schedule ended this past Saturday, along with the art market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Square at Union Centre. The farmers’ market will return to The Square in 2012 on Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.
MetroParks of Butler County and The Butler County Visitors Bureau announced Tuesday that they will celebrate an official ground breaking Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. for the new athletic complex at West Chester’s Voice of America Park.
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.
The athletic complex will feature 22 multipurpose natural grass fields, which are projected to be open for use by the fall of 2014.
“Not only will these new fields expand recreational opportunities for local residents, but the project will begin the transformation of the park into a premier athletic venue that can attract visitors from throughout the Midwest,” said Jonathan Granville, MetroParks executive director.
According to The Butler County Visitors Bureau (BCVB), VOA Park is less than a day’s drive from 65 percent of the entire U.S. population and will be able to host sizeable tournaments with more than 2,000 hotel rooms nearby.
“We are pleased to collaborate with MetroParks on this project and excited about the economic benefit it will bring to Butler County,” said Mark Hecquet, BCVB executive director.
According to MetroParks officials, the current work is the latest effort to implement the Voice of America Park enhancement plan developed with community input in 2009.
The 22 fields are just phase 1 of that enhancement plan for the entire park. This phase will cost approximately $3 million.
Originally, the athletic complex was to consist of 24 multipurpose fields, for soccer, lacrosse, football and other sports, as well as five baseball fields and four softball fields and was projected to cost roughly between $15-to-$25 million ($15 million for grass fields and $25 for artificial turf fields).
According to an economic impact study conducted in 2010 by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the original plan could have drawn about 204,000 people annually for tournaments, practices, games and leagues.
MetroParks could add to the athletic complex and provide additional enhancements to VOA Park, but has no timetable in place for other phases of construction at the moment.
A presentation regarding the economic impact of the future athletic field complex at Voice of America Park was given today, Dec. 16, at Ronald Reagan Lodge in West Chester. According to the study, the development of the athletic complex would bring in millions of dollars annually to the local community by attracting large and profitable sporting events.
“After doing the extensive market research, there is nothing but good things here,” said David Stone of AECOM Technical Services in Chicago Illi., who led the study. “And all of the things that make this site so desirable are not going away.”
Stone mentioned Butler County’s growth, location between Dayton and Cincinnati and demand for field usage among the “good things here.”
Stone’s study also determined that the new athletic complex, which would include 24 multipurpose fields for soccer, lacrosse, football and other sports, as well as five baseball fields and four softball fields, will cost roughly between $15-to-$25 million.
“This study echoes results of an earlier study we had done that looked at the overall needs of the county. A sports complex was one of the aspects that was in a high demand for this area,” Director of the Butler County Visitor’s Bureau Mark Hecquet said. “We look forward to working together with MetroParks to get this project moving forward.”
The proposed athletic complex would cost around $25 million to build the complex with artificial turf and about $15 million to build entirely with grass. (more…)
