A Construction Grand Slam: Building Ballparks and Communities in the Carolinas
Projects
Over the past 30 years, Barton Malow has established itself as a premier ballpark builder across the country, but especially in the Carolinas. With six completed ballparks and two more in their early phases of development, Barton Malow is proud to have built so many spaces for America’s favorite pastime. Many of these projects have been the central catalysts of essential downtown transformations.
“Very rarely do you have a ballpark being built on an island,” notes Barton Malow Vice President Len Moser, who began his career as an intern over three decades ago on the construction of Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles. “Developers identify sites where they see potential in the surrounding areas to become catalysts for economic boom and growth that will help promote game-day energy and excitement.”
Len has since been a part of all Barton Malow’s MLB, MiLB, and Spring Training ballpark developments, including every Carolinas ballpark project to date.
Sports venues can revitalize neighborhoods and create venues for communities to gather, as well as equipping local community members with skills training and new jobs.
First Pitch
Barton Malow’s ballpark history in the Carolinas began in 2003 with the construction of First National Bank Field in Greensboro (formerly NewBridge Bank Park), home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
“This ballpark was the first privately financed ballpark that Barton Malow worked on,” Moser recalls. “It was financed by the team’s owners rather than the city, which made it a unique project.”
The 7,499-seat stadium – outfitted with a public gathering plaza, walking paths, and an open-air concourse – replaced the then 77-year-old War Memorial Stadium. The project was a key element in the larger plan to encourage economic growth by revitalizing downtown Greensboro.
A Home Run for Charlotte
Following the success of First National Bank Field, Barton Malow, in partnership with Rodgers Builders, was selected to construct Truist Field (formerly BB&T Ballpark), for the Charlotte Knights, a AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Having broken ground in September 2012, this award-winning ballpark was completed in time for an early Spring 2014 opening. The 10,200-seat stadium is equipped to host events year-round and includes team and media facilities, a team store, and a natural grass field.
“Since its opening, [Truist Field] has consistently ranked as one of the top-attended MiLB stadiums annually,” says Director of Strategy Haley Hassler, who oversaw the construction of many of the Barton Malow ballparks in the Carolinas.
The project also exceeded expectations for sustainability, marking a 32% decrease in energy consumption and a 35% reduction in water usage compared to the baseline measurements for a stadium of this size. Additionally, Truist Field surpassed the minority or women-owned business enterprise (MWSBE) goal of 16%, achieving 24% participation from these firms.
Lining Up New Players
Following Barton Malow’s success at Truist Field, next up was Segra Park(formerly Spirit Communications Park) in Columbia, South Carolina, home of the Columbia Fireflies. Soon after, it was Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
Segra Park, completed with joint venture partner CCEB Venue Partners, was conceived as a multi-use entertainment venue to provide residents with recreational, cultural, business, and community development opportunities and to further tourism and economic development.
To further support the economic development of the surrounding community, Barton Malow implemented a six-week construction training workforce development program for the homeless and unemployed in the area. More than 50 individuals were accepted into the program, and 34 individuals graduated. Twenty-three program graduates worked on the project, 17 were hired permanently, and 14 were still employed after the project was complete.
Similarly, at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, the ballpark served as the catalyst for significant development in the area and created an opportunity for increased job training in the trades. Barton Malow successfully deployed its Boot Camp program on the project with more than 30 participants. Partnering with the City of Fayetteville, NC Works, EDSI, Fayetteville Technical Community College, and subcontractors, the curriculum and length of the program was expanded, allowing for more extensive training. The participants were vetted and matched with subcontractors, who served as classroom instructors. A staggering 80% of course graduates found full-time employment in the concrete, masonry, steel, MEP, and framing/drywall trades following Boot Camp completion. Barton Malow was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Development – Employer Award from Cumberland County, North Carolina, for such efforts.
Fielding Success in Kannapolis
Completed in tandem with Segra Stadium, the development of Atrium Health Ballpark, home to the Kannapolis Cannonballers, was part of the second phase of the Downtown Kannapolis Revitalization Plan. This plan was developed to bring back the spirit of Main Street by forming a pedestrian-friendly streetscape, connecting downtown businesses, the NC Research Campus, and at the center, a ballpark that blurs the lines between a sports venue and public park. The concourse was designed to be open like a city sidewalk and is actually open to the public every day, creating engagement with the downtown mixed-use development, and complementing the energy and activity on West Avenue.
The first phase of work focused on improving the city’s infrastructure and tied in utilities for the ballpark. The completed streetscape created a signature community gathering space on West Avenue at the heart of the revitalization effort and has become a booming shopping and social district, bringing life and community to the heart of the small town.
Notably, Barton Malow was able to participate in the NC Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for this project, connecting Kannapolis City students with classroom and on-the-job training on-site. Throughout the project, over 30 local high school students earned full-time employment while also receiving college credits.
“Downtown Kannapolis has become a place where people want to be,” says Hassler.
The new ballpark welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually and has earned multiple awards, including Ballpark Digest’s 2022 Ballpark of the Year.
Next Up to Bat
With our ever-expanding bench of baseball experience, the lessons Barton Malow takes forward from each completed ballpark allows the team to continue raising the bar in ballpark standards in the Carolinas and across the country.
Barton Malow continues to thrive as a premier sports builder with additional stadiums coming soon to the Carolinas. Next up to the plate is another downtown revitalization anchored by a new 4,000-seat MiLB Single-A baseball stadium for the City of Wilson, soon to be home to the Carolina Mudcats. With our joint venture partner, Clancy & Theys Construction Company, the ballpark is just the beginning of a larger superblock project, slated to open for the Mudcats’ 2026 inaugural season.
Through an unwavering commitment to excellence, Barton Malow has proudly never missed an opening day, earning a reputation as the premier choice for crafting iconic ballparks.
