Play ball! Grand opening for River Run Park marked by festivities, light show

Years of planning and dedication have culminated in the grand opening of new state-of-the-art baseball and softball complex in Northport, AL.

Marked by a weekend’s worth of activities and events, hundreds of residents, dignitaries, elected officials, and young athletes – including Tuscaloosa County High School’s 2025 state champion baseball team and state runner-up softball team – turned out for the official ribbon cutting of River Run Park on Saturday, Aug. 16.

“This is going to change Northport,” said City Engineer Tera Tubbs, who helped lead the city’s efforts to develop and build the park. “It's going to provide memories for kids and grandparents and parents for years to come, and I just think that’s priceless.”

This 36-acre, $30 million project on the banks of the Black Warrior River brings nine baseball and softball fields with covered stadium-style seating, home- and visitor-side team space and batting cages, expansive parking, and a host of additional amenities to the banks of the Black Warrior River.

Every field in the complex is tournament-ready, and the championship baseball and softball fields meet all NCAA regulations. Meanwhile, each remaining field fully complies with all Alabama High School Athletic Association standards, and a second phase to bring an additional seven ball fields is in the planning stages.

Once fully completed, River Run Park is expected to become a destination for local teams as well as travel ball tournaments and events.

Led by Project Manager and Vice President Frank Summers III, PE, TTL provided multiple services for the project, including civil engineering, site design, surveying, geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, natural resource management, construction surveying, and construction materials engineering and testing.

“This is going to be a shining star for the community,” Frank said. “We’re on the river, we’ve got something for all these kids locally, but then we’ll have a lot of opportunities for tourism for the City of Northport and West Alabama

“And as the other facilities are built out, this will be a 365-day opportunity.”

While the City is partnering with the Southeastern Network of Athletic Professionals Sports Tourism Consulting and Northport Sports Complex Development LLC to help develop and manage the facility, officials said TTL’s support was crucial in delivering a complex that exceeds community expectations.

“TTL was vital in creating the vision, adding to the concepts of the City, and remaining diligent throughout the design process to keep it within budget and deliver the project on time,” said Northport City Administrator Glenda Webb.