When I first heard the City of Salem was going to make some renovations to the James I. Moyer Complex some thoughts ran through my head to what they might do. I figured they’d replace the faded maroon padding on the walls and fix some of the cracks in the cement. Maybe put new toilets in the nasty dugout bathrooms or possibly add another concession stand somewhere if they had the money to swing it.
I should have known better. Salem doesn’t do things that way.
I was simply blown away when I saw the artist’s renderings at the ground breaking ceremony for the Renovation Project Monday morning on the grass lot just across the street from the skate park. When these renovations are done this is going to be one of the top facilities in the entire country.
The renovations aren’t just for improving the four ballfield facility by the river, but the entire area from when you cross the railroad tracks or enter over the Eddy Street Bridge. An elaborate brick and mortar welcoming sign will greet you at that point letting you know you’re about to enter something special. As you enter the facility there will be three pickle ball courts to your right. They’ll be located at roughly the same spot where the big metal building now stands where kids pick up their football equipment every August. The parking lot will still be there but it will be landscaped and paved and you’ll still be able to park there to walk on the David Smith Trail that runs along the river. To your left, as you enter, will be a brand new skate park.
I can remember how excited my stepson was when they first built that skate park when he was a teenager, and he’s going to be 39 this fall. It’s been kept up pretty well but when you look at the artist’s rendering of the new park it’s going to be really special. Kids of all ages are going to love it.
Moving along the entrance to the park you’ll still have recreation department offices to your right and maybe they’ll shave down that first speed bump, right near the port-a-potty, that has threatened to destroy my muffler and half the exhaust system if I’m not paying attention. If I navigate that bump safely I’ll see a refurbished playground for kids with state-of-the-art fun stuff. I thought the playground is pretty cool as it is but I guess if you’re going to improve everything else you might as well spruce it up.
Then we come to the crown jewel of the Moyer Complex, the ballfields. If you haven’t noticed already the place currently looks like the Russians are planning to annex it. I ran a photo in the paper a couple weeks ago and Johnny Counts put some photos on Facebook of the rubble that used to be the dugouts and concourse. It’s all coming down and you’ll be excited to see what’s going up.
Check out the drawing above of what it’s going to look like. The first thing I noticed was the longer seating area with chair back seats. As we knew it the bleachers stopped short of first base, but you can see in the drawing that they’ll span well beyond the bases on both sides. I’m going to miss my perch above the dugout for taking pictures, but I’ll find somewhere to go. There wasn’t much more relaxing than sitting atop the dugout on a folding chair with a Gatorade and pack of M&Ms while I’m taking pictures of a recreation baseball game or a high school or college softball game while soaking in the warm Virginia sun.
And talking about that sun, I’ve taken many a photo on a hot day of folks getting bleached while sitting on those bleachers or camping under a portable canopy to survive a hot day. Check out the picture, the seats closest to the infield will be covered by a roof! And, if you’d rather sit in the sun, you can move to the end and enjoy that, too.
This facility is going to be outstanding!! It’s going to draw so many people more parking will be needed, and that’s been addressed as well. It was announced that a new “overflow” parking lot will be constructed on the other side of the river between the walking trail and Colorado Street. I’ve been waiting years for them to do that as that grass area just sort of sets there, not that there’s anything wrong with leaving some grass in the city. Whatever, the parking will be needed and this should take care of it.
This was all celebrated Monday at the official groundbreaking for the renovations, and as Salem tends to do the city did it up right. They gave out gift backpacks to celebrities and invited folks from all over to join in the celebration. Politicians showed up with election day nearing and I assume both sides will take credit for the improvements unless the city goes broke, and then they’ll shun the blame. But that’s not likely to happen because, as the old saying goes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money and this facility it going to bring in a ton of dollars for Salem businesses of all kinds.
And speaking of money, Sheldon and Troy Henderson of G&H Contracting were there to soak in the atmosphere as they’re the ones Salem is paying to build this fantasy land for sports fans. They’re going to be busy real soon as this will be a major undertaking to get all this done by the target date of the summer of 2024. Knowing the Henderson’s, they’ll get it done right on time and looking just beautiful.
In the meantime Salem’s sports and games will be played at the places they were played before the complex. We have softball and baseball fields at the Civic Center, Oakey Field and behind the Arnold Burton Center. You have ballfields at Beverly Heights Park, the Baptist Home(now Hope Tree), and I’ve always been a big fan of Ted Webber Field. It’s a good old fashioned neighborhood ballpark like the kind I grew up playing on. Kids fall in love with baseball at places like Ted Webber Field.
It was mentioned at the groundbreaking that many in the crowd weren’t even born yet when the Moyer Complex opened in April of 1992. That doesn’t apply to me, as I was getting ready to turn 40 that year and I’d already been covering Salem sports at the many ballfields mentioned above for close to 20 years.
I was sitting next to former Salem Parks and Recreation Director Charlie Hammersley at the groundbreaking and I recalled a day many years ago when I was visiting his office. I remember him telling me about his idea to build a facility like they had in South Carolina where you had a bunch of fields at one location and teams would come from all over for tournaments there. Charlie and a group of Salem officials went to visit the place and the rest is history.
Here’s my one wish for the complex. I’d like to see them name the main field after Charlie Hammersley, because if not for his vision we might not even have this Moyer Complex right now. The Botetourt Sports Complex main field is named after long time Botetourt recreation director Ken Myers and I think it would be fitting to honor Charlie in the same manner.
After all, Ted Webber has a field named for him and he was a druggist.
