City of Hoover Hosts Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting at The Finley Center
New Facility Will Create Local and Regional Economic Impact
HOOVER, AL- The City of Hoover held the grand opening and ribbon cutting for The Finley Center today. The Finley Center completes Phase I of the Hoover Metropolitan Complex project that began in January 2016 and also included expansion of the recreational vehicle park.
Brasfield & Gorrie began construction of The Finley Center, a 155,000 square-foot facility, in June 2016 and completed it in May 2017. Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood served as the architects for the project. Local contractors who worked on the facility include: Dunn Building Company, Rabren General Contractors, M.J. Harris, Inc., CS Beatty Construction, Diversified US.
“As a leading builder of sports and entertainment projects across the Southeast, we are seeing a growing trend of multipurpose sports facilities dedicated to youth sports and community events,” said Brasfield & Gorrie Senior Project Manager Stephen Franklin. “This facility is on the leading edge of that trend and will have a significant economic impact on the City of Hoover.”
The facility is named for Coach Bob Finley, a longtime head coach at Hoover’s W.A. Berry High School. Coach Finley taught his students as much about integrity as he did football and basketball. During his tenure at Berry High School, Coach Finley cultivated award-winning athletic programs few schools could match. He went on to gain membership in the Alabama High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992 for his leadership on the football fields and basketball courts.
“As we celebrate our 50th year as a city, it is timely that we are opening this new facility today,” said Hoover Mayor, Frank Brocato. “The Finley Center will bring competitive tournaments; great sporting traditions, non-profit fundraisers, business gatherings and more to Hoover. The impact will not only benefit our community, but the state of Alabama.”
During the 2017 SEC Baseball Tournament held in May, The Finley Center was the site of the new SEC Baseball FanFest. FanFest included a variety of activities including: billiard tables, driving simulators, electronic darts, foosball tables, arcade games, air hockey tables, shuffleboard, skee-ball tables, golf simulators, inflatable games, live entertainment, a sports bar, table tennis, zip line, miniature golf, Lego construction zone, corn hole, photo booths and even a Ferris wheel.
“The Finley Center is an indoor events center which includes a walking track, performance center, food court, flexible meeting space, and clip ‘n climb attraction,” said General Manager,
Hoover Metropolitan Complex: Hoover Met Stadium and The Finley Center, Monty Jones, Jr. “The events center is multi-use and capable of hosting a variety of functions and sporting activities.”
The facility has 83,000 square feet of clear-span space which can be set-up in a variety of configurations such as: 11 regulation-size basketball courts, 17 regulation-size volleyball courts, trade shows with 300 booths 2,400-seat banquets, or theatre-style seating for 5,000. Drop-down netting provides the option to divide spacing within the center, allowing multiple activities to take place at the same time.
Construction of Phase II of the project continues and will include five NCAA regulation-size soccer/football/lacrosse fields (can be converted to ten youth fields), five NCAA regulation-size baseball/softball fields (four with artificial turf, one with natural grass), 16 tennis courts with pro shop, a playground, splash pad, and a large event lawn. Additional parking will provide approximately 5,000 onsite spaces.
The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated an economic impact for the City of Hoover of between $27 million and $33 million. The facility is also slated to bring 125 new jobs to the region. More than half of these positions have already been filled.
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About the Hoover Metropolitan Complex:
The Hoover Metropolitan Complex is a one of a kind multi-sport and event facility located in Hoover, AL. The 155,000, square feet Finley Center is a state-of-the-art facility includes more than 83,000 square feet of uninterrupted multi-court space, which can host up to 11 basketball or 17 volleyball courts, ¼ mile-walking track, and food court. For more information, visit www.hoovermetcomplex.com.
About SFM:
Sports Facilities Management (SFM) is the leading resource in sports facility planning and management. SFM has served a portfolio totaling more than $5 billion in planned and operational sports centers since its founding in 2003. For more information, visit www.sportadvisory.com.
About Brasfield & Gorrie:
Founded in 1964, Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets. They are skilled in construction best practices, including virtual design and construction, integrated project delivery, and lean construction, but are best known for preconstruction and self-perform expertise and exceptional client service. Brasfield & Gorrie has 12 offices and approximately 2,600 employees. Their 2016 revenues were $2.4 billion. Engineering News-Record ranked Brasfield & Gorrie 30th among the nation’s “Top 400 Contractors” for 2017.