Millbrook’s massive Fields at Seventeen Springs project ongoing

MILLBROOK, Ala. (WSFA) - A massive athletic complex is one step closer to reality in Millbrook. Elmore County officials, including school leaders, broke ground on what’s known as the Fields at Seventeen Springs last July.

The project is moving ahead and, so far, still within budget.

“We are on schedule with what we refer to as phase one,” said Elmore County Commissioner Bart Mercer.

It’s a big project, at least a $30 million deal. And construction on Phase One begins in late summer. The city of Millbrook and Elmore County are shouldering the burden of the cost with the Elmore County Board of Education footing the bill for the first phase.

The Fields at Seventeen Springs will be located off Highway 14 in Millbrook. If you pass by with any regularity, you’ll have noticed that all the junk vehicles that had been an eyesore have been removed, paving the way to progress.

“From this interstate, you’ve got Hoover on one end, you got Orange Beach on the other, and we’re kind of right in the middle,” said Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley, “and so we’re thinking we’re going to draw a lot of sports activities.”

An animation video shows what the complex will look like. The first projects will include tennis courts, pickle-ball courts and soccer fields. Phase two will involve the construction of a 100,000 foot fieldhouse.

“You can have eight basketball games going at a time, 15 volleyball games going at a time,” said Kelley.

And the final pieces to the overall plan will include a championship football field and baseball field,” “along with other baseball fields,” the mayor added.

You may be surprised to find out there is no deadline mentioned in this story to have all three phases completed. There’s a reason for that.

“We really haven’t locked ourselves down on an exact date because we’re trying to make sure we take this slowly and do it properly,” said Mercer.

This is much more than athletics; Millbrook alone could very well see an additional $500,000 a year in sales tax revenues, along with revenues from the lodging tax.

“All of this 14 corridor will be restaurants and hotels, and there’s no doubt in my mind. Like I said, the phone’s already ringing,” said Kelley.

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