Port Royal Park Set to Open at Memorial Celebration

UPDATE May 22: The Kickin’ ’n’ Pickin’ Kickball Tournament has been cancelled due to the football fields at Port Royal Park not being ready in time. They are fully sodded; but because the sod is not yet grown in, kickball would cause the fields to get torn up and present safety concerns.

Join the City of Spring Hill on May 23 as they officially open Port Royal Park and Fire Station No. 2 and celebrate a plethora of Memorial Day events.

The 30-acre Port Royal Park, the City’s largest park, is three times the size of Spring Hill’s next largest city park, Evans Park, which is 10 acres. This new active space also includes some of the most citizen-requested park features.

[quote font_size=”16″ bgcolor=”#” color=”#” bcolor=”#” arrow=”yes”]“Spring Hill has a uniquely high percentage of young families with children, and so many of those families had asked us for years to create more lively park space,” Mayor Rick Graham said. “We also had children who wanted to play football but were being turned away because there were not enough fields in Spring Hill. What we have built on Port Royal Road is truly a first-class park and public gathering space that our residents can be proud of. It adds the needed football fields, and it’s the only park in Williamson County with a splash pad.”[/quote]

Here are some of the features you’ll find at Port Royal Park:splashPad

Ÿ Splash Pad: A place to cool off under water spray and squirting features is sure to be a hit with kids. The City envisions the splash pad features eventually expanding, such as adding more LED lights, with the help of The Rotary Club of Spring Hill & Thompson’s Station.

ŸVeterans Memorial Wall: A circular common area, marked with a large military star and three flagpoles, honors fallen military veterans with the symbol of each U.S. military branch.

ŸPlayground: The Parks & Recreation Committee researched and chose some of the best play equipment available, including a large climbing tower with challenging routes to the top, three slides, and a variety of swings and climbing equipment. The play surface is made of padded artificial turf and surrounded by a fence. The City went far above the ADA federal playground requirements to ensure it’s equally enjoyed by children with disabilities including, those requiring wheelchair accessibility.

ŸFootball Fields: It’s the first Spring Hill park to include football fields. Three fields were built for football specifications to accommodate local football league play, but could potentially be used for other multipurpose sports fields.

ŸWalking Track: Circling the football fields and parking lot is a more than 3,000-foot walking track. Sidewalks also lead in and out of the park on both sides of the entrance road, from the parking lot to the football fields, and to the walking trail.

ŸConcessions Building: At the center of the playground/splash pad area is the concessions and restrooms building, which can be used during football games and special events.

ŸPicnic Shelters: Three well-shaded picnic shelters are spread across the park. They are free and available to the public except when rented for special events. The park also is filled with benches and picnic tables covered by large shade umbrellas, allowing parents a place to relax while kids play.

Ÿ Basketball & Tennis Courts: Behind the new fire station are two full-length courts that double as basketball/tennis courts, with markings for both uses. They will be set up as a single basketball court and a single tennis court. However, they can easily be converted to two tennis courts or two basketball courts.

Ÿ Amphitheater: Along the eastern edge of the splash pad are large, terraced, concrete steps running down the side of a steep hill, creating amphitheater-style seating for events, such as “Movies in the Park” and music performances.

ŸFire Station: Also on the park property is the new Fire Station No. 2, which includes three truck bays, a large training room, offices, sleeping quarters, showers, and a kitchen. It replaces the old makeshift house on Port Royal Road that had been renovated into a fire station.

“I am very excited to see this park open,” City Administrator Victor Lay said. “The city has had the property available for several years to be developed but only recently has been financially able to do so. The Skate Park last year, and this year’s Port Royal Park, highlight a new commitment the city has toward community livability.”

The Spring Hill Memorial Day Celebration will consist of five separate events all happening between 8 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. May 23 at Port Royal Park, 4285 Port Royal Road.

Don’t forget your folding chairs or blankets. Food trucks will be available at the park throughout the day. And the kids will enjoy bungee jumping, bouncing, bull riding, and meeting Disney princess characters at the Kids’ Zone, which will be free and open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more details, “Like” the Spring Hill Memorial Day Celebration Facebook page at facebook.com/SpringHillMemorialDayCelebration, or visit the website, http://www.springhillmemorialday.com.