Branson RecPlex wraps $3.3M improvement project

City of Branson officials were in a celebratory mood earlier this month with the completion of a multimillion-dollar project that is expected to double the economic impact of youth sports tournaments at one of its facilities.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department hosted an April 5 ceremony at the Branson RecPlex, an indoor and outdoor sports and recreation complex, marking the official unveiling of improvements at the 19-year-old facility. The primary upgrade was the installation of synthetic turf on the infields and outfields of the complex’s four baseball and softball fields. The $3.3 million project, which included replacement of the dirt and grass on the fields, along with upgraded LED lighting and new shade structures, was completed by Meridien, Kansas-based general contractor Mammoth Sports Construction LLC.

“If you’re into traveling baseball, turf’s where it’s at,” Branson Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Shook said, noting close to half of the project – roughly $1.6 million – was funded by an American Rescue Plan Act federal grant. “Turf facilities have now become the expectation in sports tourism.”

Shook, who has worked with the city department since 1991 and as director for nearly 25 years, said the desire to have turf fields has “been on my radar for many, many years.”

“The issue was money. By securing the ARPA grant, that was the boost we needed,” she said, adding while city reserves funded the remainder of the project, the federal dollars were essential to move the project forward.

After getting notification of ARPA funding in April 2023, construction began late last year and wrapped in March, according to city officials.

Tourney uptick
Shook said the RecPlex hosted 13 youth baseball and softball tournaments last year, and that was about average for the facility over the course of its existence. Those tournaments had a total attendance of 34,410 and estimated direct visitor spending of more than $18.4 million.

“We’re expecting to double that this year. We’ve got about 26 events on the books right now,” she said, adding the department has expectations that number – an all-time high – will climb more in 2025 and beyond. “People like playing on turf; it’s a higher-end experience.”

Additionally, Shook said with the exceptions of lightning or severe thunderstorms, the turf fields aren’t restricted by rain delays. That’s one of the biggest disadvantages to dirt fields, she said, and this can also be a risk factor for event organizers who select tournament locations.

“You get a couple inches rain, and you can play an hour later or something like that,” she said. “That’s not something you could do with dirt in grass fields.”

Cooper activity
Synthetic turf fields also are part of the planned improvements at the Cooper Park Sports Complex in Springfield. Roughly $28.7 million in facility upgrades are estimated, and that includes synthetic turf at 19 soccer, baseball and softball fields at Cooper Park, stadium enhancements, additional spectator seating, locker rooms, concession stands, accessible pathways and parking.

Jenny Fillmer Edwards, Springfield-Greene County Park Board spokesperson, said construction prices have contributed to an increase in the project cost, which was estimated in late 2022 at $25 million. When the project is complete, which officials estimate for late 2025, Cooper Park will have three anchor sports facilities: Cooper Tennis Complex, Lake Country Soccer Complex and the 11 baseball and softball fields that make up the Cooper and Killian sports complexes.

Edwards said Phase I, which includes the soccer side of Cooper Park, is budgeted at $9.9 million. St. Gabriel, Louisiana-based GeoSurfaces Inc., a company that specializes in synthetic turf projects, is general contractor and was given permission to proceed April 15.

“Since then, they’ve been doing preconstruction activities, but haven’t actually begun construction,” she said, adding work will begin soon.

Bids will be awarded in August for Phase II, which covers the baseball and softball fields, as well as new concession and additional shade structures, she said. Construction will likely start by the fall.

“We were able to secure more ARPA funding than we had originally anticipated,” Edwards said of $21.7 million in federal dollars awarded for the project.

Additionally, the project has received nearly $5.2 million from the city’s general fund carryover, $1 million from the Park Board budget and $631,274 from the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc.

That puts funding currently at over $28.5 million, and city officials believe they will have sufficient funds for the project.

“We won’t know until the bids are awarded for Phase II, but at this point we feel like we’re close,” Edwards said, adding discussions also are underway for field and facility naming rights.

Park Board officials estimate Phase I will wrap by January 2025 with the second phase to finish by late 2025 – a required deadline for completion of projects that receive ARPA funding. 

Similar to the Branson RecPlex, Edwards said the Cooper Park Sports Complex’s future turf fields will benefit from fewer game rainouts, which have already surfaced this baseball and softball season.

“We have fantastic staff that works very hard to keep them playable and dry them out quickly. But there is only so much that you can do with dirt fields,” she said. “It’ll be less physical labor also to prepare those [turf] fields in between rain events. It’ll keep the playing season on schedule.”

In Branson, Shook said they expect the turf will allow for more activity on the fields for roughly 10 months of the year, noting they have tournaments booked this year as late as November.

“We’re trying to extend out into the shoulder seasons of Branson. Shoulder seasons would be February, March, October and November,” she said. “Turf will allow us to play probably nine to 10 months, whereas our seasons before have been half of that amount. That will really cause us to be able to have more events.”