WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Redevelopment of the Chain of Lakes Complex in Winter Haven is expected to bring in millions of dollars annually to the local economy.
Major improvements are coming to a vital hub for recreation in Winter Haven.
"This is a heavily used site not just for the community but for all the different athletic tournaments we bring in," said T. Michael Stavres, Winter Haven City Manager.
The Chain of Lakes Complex was originally designed in the 1960s as a spring training facility for major league baseball. Now, it is primarily used for amateur athletic competitions.
"When you look at our lower practice fields, they were really designed just for practice. They never really had the creature comforts of dugouts or spectator areas. We've made additions to them to try to accommodate that over the years, but it's still not an ideal situation," Stavres said.
The City of Winter Haven is partnering with the Polk County Tourist Development Council to make $20 million in upgrades. The existing stadium and fields will be torn down, and four new collegiate-level baseball fields are being constructed.
“They will be artificial turf all the way around. That will give us an opportunity to turn those fields over more quickly with less maintenance in involved,” said Stavres.
The cost of the project will be evenly split between the city and Polk County Tourist Development Council. The renovations are expected to generate more than $60 million annually for Polk County.
“In addition to bringing fantastic economic impact that we’ll have due to the tournaments when we are complete with this project, there will be walking paths and special event spaces for the community as a whole to enjoy,” said Julie Adams, Winter Haven Parks, Recreation & Culture Department Director.
The baseball fields will be ready for teams to play ball in early 2025.
