Longtime youth baseball complex comes down
Midwest City planning to use former ballpark for youth sports practice space.
By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon
Crews last week started demolition of the old Fred Myers Civic Ballpark in Midwest City.
The city recently closed the youth baseball complex after upgrading Reed Ballpark, located near Carl Albert Middle School, and opening of the new Multi-Athletic Complex (MAC), 9400 SE 29th St.
Fred Myers Civic Ballpark was a mainstay for youth baseball leagues for decades. City officials wanted to revamp their youth and adult athletic facilities in the 2018 general obligation bond issue. Voters approved a plan that included closing Fred Myers Ballpark and shifting activities to Reed and the new multipurpose facility.
The city originally planned to build a new police and fire training facility on the site of Fred Myers Ballpark, but that was scrapped after pushback from neighbors. The police and fire training facility is currently under construction at a new site near the public works department.
Fred Myers Ballpark will be repurposed as an open park space that can be used for soccer and baseball practices. Josh Ryan, communications and marketing director for Midwest City, said the grass fields will be leveled and maintained by city staff.
Ryan said the north baseball field will stay in place. The city will keep the backstop and add new bleacher seating. He said the city does not plan to add any playground equipment or other features at the park.
“We need additional reserve space for soccer practices,” Ryan said. “The open areas at Regional Park get overused and this will give us the ability to have another maintained grass area that teams can use.”
Demolition crews started at Fred Myers Park on April 12. The demolition project includes removing all the baseball fields except the north field. All the lights, poles, fencing and concession stand will be cleared.
When the project is completed, people can rent the fields through the Midwest City Parks and Recreation website at www.midwestcityok.org/parksrec.
Crews with M&M Wrecking demolish the old Fred Myers Civic Park last Friday afternoon. PHOTO BY JEFF HARRISON
