CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball and the Town of Cary today announced the grand opening of the Executive Offices and Training Center at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The grand opening coincides with a 20-year agreement that was recently signed by USA Baseball and the Town of Cary, solidifying Cary, North Carolina, as the permanent home of the national governing body for baseball in the United States.
“This project has been a vision for both USA Baseball and the Town of Cary since we relocated to Cary in 2003, and to see it ultimately come to fruition is a special moment for both parties,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “We are excited to use this space to continue our commitment to the game of baseball by elevating the experience for our national teams and those who compete in our identification events and development programs at the National Training Complex.”
In October 2011, the Town approved an interlocal agreement with Wake County that provided for $10 million in interlocal funding, with a funding commitment on the part of Cary to provide equal to or exceeding an additional $10 million for a total of $20 million. One of the three projects that this funding went to is the Executive Offices and Training Center.
The $10.45 million, 40,000-square-foot project is an expansion of the four fields which were built in 2007, and stands between Coleman Field and the complex parking lot. The facility includes a 22,000-square-foot covered full-sized infield which can be converted into eight pitching/batting lanes, and 14,000 square feet of office and warehouse space, new staff offices, a classroom, along with several other facility support spaces. The design is 14 percent more efficient than national standards, as the facility contains 301 photovoltaic panels on the roof to offset 60 percent of the facility’s energy demand. The site development and plumbing design will reduce an estimated 35 percent of water usage for the facility, and an estimated 75 percent of construction waste was safely and cleanly diverted.
The Training Center will be a covered space that can be used in several different ways for USA Baseball’s national teams, development programs, and events, including Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) performance assessments, national team workouts, development program classroom and on-field programming, national team media days, skill development days for event participants, event registration days, Baseball5 events, and much more.
On April 13, USA Baseball and Town leadership gathered on-site for the ribbon cutting of their latest commitment to the game of baseball in the United States. Since identifying a need for a covered training facility, the Town of Cary and USA Baseball have worked tirelessly to bring the project to reality. Members of USA Baseball’s Board of Directors were present at the celebration of this milestone for the organization, including President John Gall, Treasurer Jason Dobis, and At-Large Member George Grande. Six Town Council members from the Town of Cary were also in attendance, including Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, who was a part of a first pitch ceremony with President Gall prior to the championship game of the National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
“From my time as an athlete playing for Team USA and first stepping foot on the grounds of the National Training Complex with the Olympic Team in 2008, to now with the grand opening of the Executive Offices and Training Center, it’s been incredible to have a front row seat to the growth and impact our organization has made on baseball in the United States,” said Gall. “This newly built space will certainly allow us to take the next step in creating the best and most memorable experiences for all athletes who are connected to our great game.”
For more information about the project, click here.
