Big League Dreams Preview

The AZ Republic tells us of a meeting to check out the concept and layout of Big League Dreams, which will be built by the town next to Highland Groves:

Opening Day at Gilbert's Big League Dreams ballpark may be more than a year away, but residents can get a sneak peak this week of how the complex will look.

Gilbert is hosting an open house Thursday at the Southeast Regional Library to go over some of its future capital improvements projects. Chief among them is the ambitious project that calls for converting a one-time alfalfa field owned by the town into an eight-field sports complex.

Town spokesman Greg Svelund said representatives from Big League Dreams USA LLC, the developer, would be on hand to answer questions. Sketches of the concept, along with photos of the company's other facilities, will be on display.

Svelund said officials would continue to work on the concept's design the next few weeks, before a final proposal is brought to either the town's Design Review Board or Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Town officials said they hope the 63-acre ballpark, on Elliot Road between Recker and Power roads, can help lure sports tournaments, league games and other diversions to Gilbert.

Big League Dreams, based in Chino Hills, Calif., enters public-private partnerships with communities to build sports complexes with scaled-down facades of major league ballparks.

It runs five parks in California and Texas and is in stages of planning and developing five others, including its venture in Gilbert.

In October, Gilbert hired M.A. Mortenson Co., of Minneapolis, and Phoenix-based Kitchell CEM for pre-construction services and project management. Gilbert staff members said they hope the complex could be finished before April 2007.

If you're interested in your future neighbor, check it out.