Work is continuing on Northport's signature River Run Park, where city Engineer Tera Tubbs said development is on track for games to hosted there a little more than a year from now.

Tubbs addressed the Northport City Council Monday and said serious progress has been made since they broke ground on the site inside the larger Northport Shore complex on the banks of the Black Warrior River that will also include Kentuck Park and Warrior Baseball.

The $27 million River Run Park will feature nine total ball fields for baseball and softball games including a "signature" field for each sport offering 150 grandstand seats and bleachers to fit 400 more spectators.

(Shared by City of Northport)
(Shared by City of Northport)
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Tubbs said gradings and utilities work began on the site in February or March and are expected to wrap up this November. Field construction began in July, and is well underway, as Tubbs showed in drone footage, and developers expect to install turf in spring 2025, with the ball fields finished by summer 2025.

(Shared by City of Northport)
(Shared by City of Northport)
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The final steps will be to build out the structures on site, install or paint branded wayfinding signs and maps throughout the complex by August 2025 and ready for play in the Fall of next year.

"It is very, very exciting time and I wanted to make sure if this is not something you pass by everyday, I wanted everybody to understand where we are in the project," Tubbs said. "We're on schedule to be done in a year."

 

Tubbs said things are moving along well and developers are listening to parents with kids who play ball and are adding features at their request, with a special focus on shade for games during hot Alabama summers.

Other plans for Northport Shore include an indoor sports facility, a hotel and more.

For updates on the development as it continues, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.

Editor's note: the first published version of this story said River Run Park will open in 2026 - the city is aiming to open in Fall 2025, not 2026 - apologies for the mistake. 

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