The first phase of the $83 million redevelopment of the former Greenwood Middle School property is continuing along at a steady pace.
The Greenwood Fieldhouse, the sole remaining building from the former middle school following its 2019 demolition, is being repurposed for use by the Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department. Plans for the $9-million fieldhouse include an elevated indoor running and walking track, batting cages, two multi-purpose turf fields for sports such as soccer or lacrosse, two gymnasiums with basketball or volleyball courts, several indoor pickleball courts and a golf simulator. It is set to be completed by the end of the year, though staffing and supply shortages may delay the opening slightly.
The city bought the former middle school property for $1.1 million in 2017 as part of an idea that began several years ago with the creation of the central Tax Increment Financing district. The central TIF district was created in 2013, and was intended to fund the redevelopment of Old Town Greenwood.
Over the years, every project in the area — from redoing the Madison Avenue streetscape to the $5 million revamp of Old City Park — led to the $83 million development that is now in the works. The fieldhouse will anchor it.
Work on the fieldhouse is progressing, but like many construction projects underway right now, it is faced with labor and supply shortages, said Rob Taggart, parks director.
The city does not have an opening date yet. The opening is dependent on the city receiving a certificate of occupancy, or a document issued by the city that says a property is suitable for occupancy, and making sure they have enough staff, Taggart said.
“We want to make sure the facility is complete (and) there’s enough time to do (the) onboard training with the staff,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re putting the best foot forward for the community, for the residents, that it is a top-shelf facility when we open it.”
The city is excited to see how the community reacts to the end result.
“(The fieldhouse) has been been a facility that’s been a deficiency for our community for a lot of years,” Taggart said. “We think (the new facility) will be a great extension to the community center.”
Last month, the city announced that Hubler Automotive Group had signed on to be the premier facility partner of the fieldhouse for the next decade. The $50,000 agreement with Hubler, a Greenwood-based car dealership, created the parks department’s largest public-private partnership to date.
Once the the fieldhouse is completed, nearly seven additional buildings will be built, including nearly 300-market-rate apartments, more than 15 condos and more than 40 townhomes, as well as 18,000 square feet of office and retail space on the first floors of the buildings. A 36,000-square-foot, three-story parking garage with more than 500 parking spots will also be built, as well as additional surface parking.
