Parking lot, new gate entrance at Centennial Field to be ready this fall, says superintendent
Published 3:31 pm Tuesday, June 11, 2019
- The former Elcan-King Elementary is being demolished, and a new parking lot for Centennial Field will be set up on the property in the coming months.
A Bainbridge football 2018 State Championship banner won’t be the only addition to Centennial Field when the Bearcats kick off their season this August.
A new parking lot and general admission entrance is currently under construction. Elcan-King Elementary, located across Louise Street from Centennial Field, is currently being demolished to make way for the new parking lot. The new north gate entrance will provide access to both the home and visitor’s stands.
The existing entrances will remain open for both the home and visitor’s sides.
The new ticket booth will be ready by the 2019 season kickoff against Seminole County on Friday, Aug. 23, but the parking lot will still be wrapping up construction, according to Decatur County Superintendent Tim Cochran.
Decatur County Board of Education Chairman Keith Lyle is looking forward to fans using the new entrance and enjoying the new parking lot and tailgate space that will be made available starting this season.
“We are excited about the modifications to Centennial Field,” said Lyle. “The new ticket booth and visitor side access, in addition to the increased parking and tailgate space, will make attending any event at Centennial Field even more enjoyable.”
The Decatur County Board of Education unanimously voted to close Elcan-King Elementary in April 2018 due to growing financial concerns at the school, mainly due to an abundance of space and not enough students to fill it. Cochran believes using the property to increase parking for events at Centennial Field is the best long-term solution.
“With Elcan-King closing, it just seemed like a good use of the property,” said Cochran. “It is going to be a lot more logistical this way, and people will be able to walk right across the street and into the stadium.”
A six-foot wrought iron fence will be built between the playing field and the sidewalk. Cochran said during the season, a windscreen will be hung from the fence, but speculated that they would remove it during the offseason for those passing by to enjoy the full view of Centennial Field.
Bainbridge kicks off at Centennial Field at 7:30 p.m. against the Seminole County Indians on Friday, Aug. 23.
