Ridgeland could get $30 million to upgrade Freedom Ridge Park if a local tax bill passes this session. The local/private bill would raise tourism taxes and reinvest that money in improving the park.
“The tourism tax is visitor driven and the expansion will bring more visitors to Ridgeland as well as serving our citizens to play tournaments on home fields, bring economic development to the community, and support the hospitality industry in Ridgeland,” said Chris Chapman, CEO of Visit Ridgeland.
Currently, Ridgeland’s tourism tax is one percent. The new bill would raise restaurant taxes to two percent and hotels to three percent. According to Chapman, the current tax base was not large enough to fund improvements to the park.
If the bill is signed, the tax increases will last for 15 years. It is expected to bring in $2 million a year.
The park is located off of West School Street. The park, currently in its first phase, can be seen from Lake Harbour Drive looking north. If the developments occur, the park will cross to the south side of Lake Harbour Drive.
Phase II of Freedom Ridge Park includes expanding the perimeter south, past Lake Harbour Drive to where I-55 and Highway 51 cross each other. The west side of the park will be bordered by the I-55 and I-220 crossover and the east side will run parallel to Highway 51.
The project is based off of the LakePoint Sports complex in Emerson, GA. The plans will include adding 1,362 parking spaces, four regulation baseball fields that can double as softball fields—which will use artificial turf—recreation and parks buildings for tournament offices, two multi-purpose artificial turf athletic fields, two full-size artificial turf soccer fields, four full size grass soccer fields, a grassy area for festivals and special events, multi-purpose trails throughout connecting with Ridgeland’s trail system and two sand volleyball courts.
The plans also include removing the 1,500 seat exhibition softball stadium. This would be replaced with a baseball field for both baseball and softball, that would mirror the other three fields included in the plan. The baseball and softball fields will extend to 325-360 feet to allow all ages and games to be played.
The expansion is expected to have positive economic impacts on the area by boosting tourism through tournaments.
“We currently can fit 24 teams in the park,” said John Sidney North, the director of the recreation and parks department of Ridgeland.
“After the expansion we’ll be able to fit 100 teams a weekend.”
This could give Ridgeland a chance to compete with cities like Emerson, Georgia, and Hoover, Alabama that host 100 team plus tournaments.
National tournaments like baseball’s USSSA World Series and Grand Slam World Series could be hosted right in Ridgeland.
The types of tournaments that the park is being developed for include baseball, softball and soccer. Each tournament is expected to generate $600,000 to 690,000 of economic improvement.
“Our local citizens, hotels, and restaurant owners have expressed the need for larger and more adequate sports facilities for Ridgeland and paying one cent more per dollar on a meal is well worth it for our families to enjoy team and tournament sports right here where it should be,” said Chapman.
