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Additional Bleachers, Restrooms Complete Final Phase of Sportsplex at Matthews

Mecklenburg County’s $33 million athletic facility was planned and designed by Woolpert.

MATTHEWS, N.C. (Aug. 27, 2018) — The final phase of work at the Sportsplex at Matthews (N.C.) was completed this weekend, as additional restrooms and 1,640 more seats were unveiled. The project drew to a close just in time to host Friday’s high school football showdown between local rivals Mallard Creek and Butler, which saw Mallard Creek take home the 36-28 win. The $33 million facility, located southeast of Charlotte, held its official grand opening last summer after the main infrastructure portion of the phased project was complete.

Woolpert was hired by Mecklenburg County in the mid-2000s to plan and design the Sportsplex, which hosts professional and amateur teams in a variety of sports. The site offers two dozen athletic fields of various sizes and uses, shelters, trails, a playground and a fieldhouse, as well as a stadium field that now has seating for up to 4,340.

This final phase amended the initial plan to accommodate high demand and promote longevity, according to Woolpert Sports and Recreation Market Leader Andrew Pack.

“The project developed over a span of more than 10 years, so, by the time the main infrastructure was complete, some of the facility’s amenities were obsolete,” Pack said. “We worked with the county to find the right strategy to complete these additions while the facility was in use, and we were able to do so in a short time frame.”

Woolpert has provided planning, architecture and engineering specific to athletic facilities, stadiums and parks across the country since the early 1970s. Pack said this experience has provided an understanding that supports the design and coordination of large-scale sites like the Sportsplex at Matthews.

“The goal is always to produce a quality facility for athletes, fans and user groups, but the project also has to be a win for the owner and the local economy,” Pack said. “Longevity, operation and consistent maintenance are the keys to success with these popular and versatile facilities.”

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the fastest growing architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm in the country, delivering value to clients in all 50 states and around the world by strategically blending innovative design and engineering excellence with leading-edge technology and geospatial applications. With a dynamic research and development department, Woolpert works with inventive business partners such as Google and Esri; operates a fleet of planes, sensors and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); and continually pushes industry boundaries by working with advanced water technologies, asset management, building information modeling (BIM) and sustainable design. The firm, which is among the ENR’s Top 100 Design Firms, supports a mission to help its clients progress and become more progressive. For over 100 years and with 26 offices across the U.S., Woolpert serves federal, state and local governments; private and public companies and universities; energy and transportation departments; and the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit woolpert.com or call 937-531-1258.