Press Release: Parish Partners with CSP to Build New Roadway to North of Sports Complex

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller
(985) 748-3211

Ryan Barker
Executive Director of Chappapeela Sports Park
(985) 543-6767

HAMMOND—Thanks to a generous contribution of land from a Hammond family, traffic will be able to move in and out of Chappapeela Sports Park much easier.

Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller, in partnership with Tangipahoa Parish District 8 Councilman David Vial, and the Hammond Area Recreation District #1, announced Friday that a 60-foot wide parcel of land has been donated to build a two-lane roadway from Old Covington Highway and across Seltzer’s Creek to access CSP.

Located just north of the intersection of I-12 and Airport Road, there is currently only one route in and out of the park, which hosts an estimated 800,000-plus visitors per year.

“Tangipahoa Parish Government recognizes the value that Chappapeela Sports Park brings not only to our citizens of Tangipahoa Parish but also the visitors from across the region who travel to our parish for sporting events at that site throughout the year,” Miller said. “Thanks to the generous contribution of this local family, we will be able to relieve traffic congestion off Airport Road and provide additional access to the park from the north side of the complex.”

Long Time Coming
Established under the auspices of the Hammond Area Recreation District #1, Chappapeela Sports Park was built following the 2010 passage of a 10 mill tax to create, maintain, and operate the 90-acre-plus complex. 

Jason Hood, a former Hammond City Councilman and the current chairman of the five-member rec board, which is appointed by Parish Government, said the concept of a recreational facility for Hammond goes back to the years immediately after Hurricane Katrina. 

Parish Councilman David Vial recalls that even in the early discussions for the park, there was concern that if the park was truly successful, there would be a need someday for additional access to the complex.

“It’s been a discussion point for many years,” Vial said. 

Hood concurred. “Participation at the complex over the last four to five years has grown so much. We knew it was time to make a move.”

Vial said the park does a phenomenal job of hosting events year round. Chappapeela’s annual economic impact studies reflect that growth and point to more on the way.

“It’s not only a local resource but also an economic engine that over the last five years produced an estimated $45 million local impact and roughly 4 million visitors,” Vial said. “As our Parish President says, we move in Tangipahoa Parish to solve a problem, and with those kind of numbers, we knew it was time to make a move for Chappapella Sports Park.”

Partnerships
Vial says representatives from Tangipahoa Parish Government and the rec board started talking to local residents about three years ago to develop a plan that would alleviate congestion in and out of the park.

“We wanted to develop the best possible solution, paying particular attention to the needs of our citizens who reside closest to the park,” Miller said.

Recently a land owner came forward, offering a 60-foot wide parcel fronting Old Covington Highway and tracking all the way back to the complex. It was the piece of the puzzle leaders had thought impossible to find.

“Without this resident stepping up and offering us this solution, none of this would be possible,” Vial said.

Miller said the act of donation to the parish is now complete, and officials will soon go out for bids on the project.

New Road
Miller said Spangler Engineers of Hammond has designed the connecting road that will be built between Old Covington Highway and Chappapeela Sports Park.

The project calls for a brand new fully-developed two-lane parish road that will include a bridge over Seltzer’s Creek and proceed south, tying in to Chappapeela’s ring road from the northeast quadrant of the sports complex.

“Talk about a great partnership,” said Chappapeela Sports Park’s Executive Director Ryan Barker. “We have our great Hammond Area Recreation District board working hand-in-hand with Tangipahoa Parish Government to build a roadway that we all thought would be tough—if not impossible—to achieve. And from what we are hearing, this could be a reality before the end of the calendar year!”

“This is exactly the kind of public-private partnership we want in Tangipahoa Parish,” Miller said. “We have a longtime resident stepping up to help a public entity enhance what they can offer to the taxpayers. For us in Parish Government, we are simply connecting the dots, so to speak, doing what we do so well to help connect Point A to Point B with a high-quality roadway that will help our people move safely.”