Warner Park has been undergoing a major transformation in the last year. The public can see for itself the modifications that have taken place when the city hosts the park’s grand reopening July 11.

A sampling of youth fastpitch softball has gone on at the newly rebuilt facility in the last few weeks, including last weekend’s Amateur Softball Association Warmup at Warner Park. Greta Hayes, the city’s assistant director of parks, said she heard some local girls commenting that they thought they were in an out-of-town tournament because they didn’t recognize their surroundings.

“That’s how much it’s changed,” Hayes said. “It gave me cold chills to hear that. It was long overdue.”

Featuring Jim Frost Stadium, Warner Park has become specifically designed to attract fastpitch softball tournaments. The city recently partnered with the Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee and local ASA officials and applied to be in Oklahoma City in November to bid on hosting a national tournament in 2010.

Each of the park’s four newly built fields is, like the stadium field and previously redesigned Hargraves, 195 feet from home plate to the foul poles, and the beveled fence expands to 200 feet from home in center field. The light poles beyond the outfield fences offer room for fences to be extended, should that become a factor with regulations in the future.

The outfields are sodded with Bermuda grass and have irrigation systems that can be operated by remote control. Each diamond also has its own infield tarp.

“Rainouts are extremely devastating to a tournament director,” Chattanooga Parks and Recreation administrator Larry Zehnder said. “What we want to do is provide every aspect possible to get games played.”

The city also is working on a plan to install video cameras, or possibly using portable ones, and feature webcasts of selected tournament games. A trial run with portable cameras is expected to take place during the July 11 ceremony.

“We’re always looking for things to set us apart,” Zehnder said.

Although renovations were done with softball in mind, Hayes said portable mounds are stowed away that could be used for 12- or 10-under baseball tournaments.

“I’m sure tournaments will be at least 90 percent softball,” she said. “But if it’s something that would bring economic dollars to the city, I think we should do it.”

The park also has a public-adress system in which announcements can be made to each field individually or to all fields collectively. Shade structures over the bleachers are among future considerations.

Zehnder said a second phase of development will include attention to the parking situation. Upgrades have been made at the park’s Chattanooga Zoo, and among the next construction proposals are the building of a Miracle Field for the disabled, a walking track and eventually an aquatic center with a water-based playground.

“We’re looking at every angle to encourage teams to come to Chattanooga and make their experiences in Chattanooga some of the best they’ve had,” Zehnder said. “We’ve got a 50-meter pool, a fitness center and an indoor softball practice facility. There are a lot of assets at Warner Park. Families may have a young lady playing softball who has a brother that’s looking for something else to do.”

The picturesque rose garden leading into the park from the McCallie Avenue side is gone and being replaced by a stormwater retention pond. Zehnder conceded that the decision was in some way a tradeoff of scenery for practicality, adding that the structure will not only alleviate flooding problems at the park but also in nearby neighborhoods.

Zehnder said he would like to see roses brought back in other areas at the park. The city can provide the flowers, but a volunteer group would be needed to maintain them.

“We have a beautiful picture,” Zehnder said. “We just need a frame.”

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