By Anthony Gorges
Little Apple Post
The City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department hosted a grand opening event on Saturday for the all-new Steel and Pipe Supply Ballpark at Cico Park. Aaron Stewart, Parks and Recreation Director, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome to a large crowd and also extended many thank-you's throughout his speech. “Really, this project has been about 10 or 11 years in the making,” Stewart said. “It goes back to around 2015, when our Strategic Facilities Improvement Plan identified the need to redo the Cico ballpark. From there, the 2017 Quality of Life sales tax was approved. That initiative funded the recreation centers, about $3 million in trail improvements, and this ballpark was the final major project included in that plan. So overall, it’s taken about a decade to get to today.”
Stewart was one of a few speakers on Saturday morning. Also present and speaking to the crowd was Manhattan Mayor Susan Adamchak. “I’m proud to say this project is on schedule and on budget, and today's celebration is a major milestone along that path,” Mayor Adamchak said. “These improvements align with the Move MHK Master Plan adopted in 2024, enhancing the quality of our parks and making thoughtful investments that anticipate future needs and community growth.”
The new ballpark features four fields: two baseball and two softball. There are also batting cages and a “bullpen,” allowing up to eight teams at one time. The ballpark also features the Tindall Family Viewing Deck and an indoor concessions stand. “Additional improvements are still ahead, including new playground equipment, eight new tennis courts, and a collaborative throwing facility with USD 383 for track and field athletes,” Mayor Adamchak said. This project reflects strong collaboration between the City, Riley County, and the school district. "Today, let’s celebrate the players who will take the field, the families who will gather here, and the future memories that will be made in this space. Welcome to the next chapter of Cico Park. Let’s play ball.”
There are several community partners that made the ballpark happen, including Steel and Pipe Supply. Their partnership is a 10-year, $500,000 agreement for the naming rights of the ballpark. Clint Johns, Co-President of Steel and Pipe Supply, spoke at the event and was very complimentary of the collaboration and teamwork to make the ballpark happen. “Across our leadership team, this is a project that we wanted to be a part of and be a cornerstone," Johns said. "I also want to thank our employees. Your daily work allows our organization to contribute to projects that have a lasting impact on the community.” Like many folks in attendance, Clint Johns said the completion of the ballpark and Opening Day ceremony was very special to him since he grew up in Manhattan. “Personally, this is really cool for me to be out here today. Like many others, I spent countless spring and summer days on these fields growing up. It’s cool to see this place will provide those same types of memories for kids and families for years and decades to come.”
Construction of the ballpark was done by BHS Construction. Patrick Sutter spoke about the construction process. “Our team worked very diligently with City staff to get this ballpark done for baseball and softball season," Sutter said. "Just really proud that we were able to be a part of this, and appreciate the support that the county, city, and school district put in BHS, and the stewardship you allowed us to have for this community."
According to Aaron Stewart, Parks and Rec Director, the estimated final cost of the project is $17.5 million.
“Ideally, we want this complex active as much as possible during both the week and the weekends,” Stewart said. “We’ve already seen increased interest from tournament organizations, and our goal is to grow from about 10 tournaments to around 20. Most importantly, though, we build for our local community. Our Parks and Recreation leagues will use the facility Monday through Friday, and tournaments are really the icing on the cake.” The facility will now also be the home fields for Manhattan High School baseball and softball.
The ceremony was completed with several “first pitches” thrown to officially open the ballpark, and then 300 hot dogs were served thanks to the Riley County Police Department. 400 ballpark shirts were given away throughout the day.
Following the grand opening ceremony, tournament games began for several teams.
Below are several photos from the new facility.
