Architects Present Final Designs For Northport's River Run Park

NORTHPORT, AL — Representatives from Chambless King Architects were on hand during Tuesday night's Northport City Council meeting to present the firm's final designs for the city's new youth sports tournament facility, which will be known as River Run Park and exist as part of the larger Northport Shore development.

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As Patch previously reported, the new Northport Shore development will encompass River Run Park, Kentuck Park, Warrior Baseball, and Northport's Levee Trail, as the city looks to promote connectivity and sports tourism.

Among the amenities discussed during Tuesday's presentation, architects focused on the nine fields, which will feature two signature fields as the venue's centerpieces. Each signature field will include a concession building and grandstands, with both fields being capable of serving as host sites for high school up through college for baseball and softball.

The seven other fields will be more traditional but with the ability to easily adjust dimensions based on the type of event being hosted.

What's more, plans call for the construction of a Legacy Plaza — an area that could provide many opportunities for different kinds of team seating and event space, as well as a place to honor some of the area's sports legends.

Much was said Tuesday evening about the "park within a park" concept that is being considered during the design phase of River Run Park. Considering this, however, architects made clear that they did not want to see nearby Warrior Baseball "cannibalized" into the new park.

TTL Vice President Frank Summers explained that the master plan, which is available on the city's website, calls for many other extra amenities, including activity buildings and accommodations for up to three hotels — especially considering the growth in popularity of tournament fishing on the Black Warrior River, along with the addition of pickleball and tennis in future phases of the new recreational development.

Here's a look at the latest renderings of River Run Park.

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