Centennial Contractors Enterprises Inc. The new Barton Field Sports Complex Building and Equipment Storage Facility is slowly taking shape. It’s no longer just plans on a drafting board.

“We are hopeful to start playing softball at the complex as early as June or July if there are no unforeseen delays or problems,” said Neil Smith, sports specialist with the Sports, Fitness and Aquatic Recreation Division on post.

“Georgia Power Company removed the lighting poles in the area shortly after the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday,” added Smith. Centennial Contractors Enterprise Inc., the main contractor for the project, removed the old fencing around the former baseball diamonds on Barton Field.

“The land on the existing sports fields is being graded,” said Smith.

The Barton Field Sports Complex will consist of a new two-story support building and a new equipment storage facility located at Barton Field between 25th and 19th Streets between Barnes and Brainard Avenues on post. The buildings will house a concession area, men’s restrooms, women’s restrooms, storage/mechanical rooms on the first floor with four scorers’ sections on the second floor.

The West end of Barton Field is being cleared for softball fields to be joined around a new two-story building with concession stands, restrooms, and scoring boxes on the second floor. Bonnie Heater The equipment storage facility will be a secured storage area, storage for maintenance equipment, utility carts, lawn mowers and other equipment and tools for sports programs and a mechanical room all located at grade level. In addition, the project includes the reorientation of four ball fields, providing fencing and irrigation systems for the fields and installation of scoreboards.

“The new complex is being built for our Soldiers and military members stationed at Fort Gordon,” said Smith. “The current conditions and amenities of the existing Barton Field Sports Complex without the support building and equipment storage facility do not meet current industry standards nor patron expectations and needs and are not in good keeping with the U.S. Army and the Fort Gordon Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation standard. Currently, there are no restrooms, concessions facility, nor equipment storage facilities in the area and there is no protection from the [weather] elements for participant or spectator safety along with equipment safekeeping.”

Estimated cost for the complex including the reconfiguration of existing sports fields is more than $2.2 million.

According to James Green, the director for Fort Gordon’s DFMWR, the modernized Sports Complex is expected to increase morale and esprit de corps throughout units stationed at Fort Gordon.