Stinger_park_groundbreaking_ceremony_bessemer_city_header

Stinger Park Creating The Buzz In Bessemer City

City Recently Held Groundbreaking Ceremony

Doug, james inman, becky smith, andy lovingood
(L-R) Doug Chapman, McGill Principal / Hickory Office Manager; James Inman, Bessemer City Manager; Becky Smith, Bessemer City Mayor; and Andy Lovingood, McGill President

McGill participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for Stinger Park, a 40-acre sports and recreation complex, in Bessemer City on April 21, 2021. Once completed in 2022, Stinger Park will improve the quality of life and provide an economic benefit to both the City of Bessemer City and the surrounding areas, becoming a premier destination for youth sports in the southeastern region. Stinger Park will be the home of three tournament-style baseball and softball fields, two multipurpose fields, two tennis courts, two pickleball courts, concessions, restrooms, two playgrounds, and walking paths and trails.

Over 40 people attended the ceremony, including public officials from the City of Bessemer City, Gaston County, and Gaston County Schools, along with representatives from McGill Associates, Neill Grading and Construction Company, and the US Department of Agriculture North Carolina Rural Development (USDA-RD).

Stinger park groundbreaking
(L-R) Josh Ross, Bessemer City Director of Administration; Doug Chapman, McGill Principal / Hickory Office Manager; Robert Kern, USDA-RD Public Information Officer; and Andy Lovingood, McGill President

Public officials shared their positive experiences with the development of Stinger Park. James Inman, City Manager of Bessemer City, expressed how he has worked with numerous groups over the years and found this project to be the smoothest to date. Robert Kerns, Public Information Officer with USDA-RD, declared Stinger Park as a true example of USDA-RD’s mission statement, “Together, America Prospers.”

In addition to playing a role on the vision of Stinger Park, McGill provided surveying, environmental, site development, recreation planning, and utility services in the design and development of the park. The park is partially funded by a USDA-RD loan of $7.8 million and a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which McGill assisted in coordinating to move the City’s vision forward.

Hydeia y. Hayes, mpa, cmc, human capital director / city clerk
Josh Ross, Bessemer City Director of Administration, and Hydeia Y. Hayes, Bessemer City Human Capital Director / City Clerk

The Stinger Park mission statement — “ a life enhancing experience that allows all socio-economic communities to swarm together through health, wellness, and cultural elements that ultimately improve quality of life for the community and betters the environment for building a colony of success in Bessemer City” — can be found on the Bessemer City webpage, along with detailed information about park offerings.

“McGill is proud to come alongside Bessemer City to assist with making this project — which will enhance the community in many ways — a reality.”
– Doug Chapman, McGill Principal / Hickory Office Manager

Learn More

Learn more about McGill’s parks and recreation design and development work in the Town Creek Park case study. See how our land planning and recreation team worked with the City of Asheville to create a more pedestrian friendly Haywood Streetscape. Contact us to see how we can help get your next project off the ground info@mcgillassociates.com.

 

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