“Play Ball!” at new Pascagoula Sportsplex
When the first pitch of the season was thrown out for the Pascagoula Youth Baseball League this summer, it was thrown from a mound at the city’s new Sportsplex.
The facility features four baseball, three softball and three Tee-ball fields, and another diamond covered by field turf.
The Sportplex’s lighting system was designed by the company’s Lighting Services department. They also served as general contractor on the construction and installation of the lights. Moving forward, the company and the city have a lease agreement in place with a monthly fee that includes Mississippi Power performing maintenance on the lights when required.
“This is the largest lighting project we’ve ever undertaken at Mississippi Power,” Lighting Services Supervisor Terri Lee said. “Our entire department was involved with this project, but the support we received from across the company is what put us in position to win the project, complete installation and deliver tremendous value to our customer.”
To make room for the new facility, the City of Pascagoula purchased and razed approximately 20 houses across the street from Pascagoula High School.
“The Pascagoula line crew removed all of the services and poles in the area at the beginning of the project,” Division Engineer Travis Barfield said. “Then we rerouted the feed to Pascagoula High School and provided a new service point to the Sportsplex.”
The scope of work at the facility included installing 28 84-ft. concrete poles, 178 750W lights, 8,000 ft. of conduit and 10,000 ft. of underground conductor.
“The poles required a special foundation of 14-foot long steel casings that are 3.5-feet thick and are driven into the ground to provide an adequate base,” Lighting Services Engineer Bryce Johnson said. “The lights come in four different light patterns, and we knew aiming direction was going to be important to ensure the proper light level reaches the field.”
Mississippi Power worked with the Pascagoula’s Project/Design Team led by Brown, Mitchell & Alexander (BMA) as they looked to find the most cost-effective lighting system for the city’s budget.
“This project is a perfect example of how Mississippi Power is adapting our business to meet our customers where they need us,” Marketing and Sales Director Giff Ormes said.
Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 188,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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