CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — In 2017, construction on a destination baseball tournament complex planned at Lake of the Ozarks known as Ballparks Of The Ozarks suddenly stopped. Now, 38 months later and rebranded as Ballparks National, the project is underway again. And the developers say it's finally full-speed ahead.
The project in Camden County just west of Camdenton broke ground in April of 2015, with a planned opening in 2016. Delays pushed the planned opening to 2017. Then, construction ground to a halt. No dirt was moved for 38 months, and the Lake of the Ozarks community wondered aloud—in conversations, and on social media—whether the whole project had simply struck out. But General Manager and co-founder Jeff Vernetti says it was more like the baseball complex experienced a very, very long rain delay. Although in this case, rather than rain holding up the project, it was money.
The Funding Delay
"Private entities raising this amount of money... is not something that most do quickly," Vernetti said candidly. He, Director of Baseball Operations Bob Ramsey, and others have spent the past three years slogging through re-organizing and reinforcing the project's financial backing. After restructuring the financing, they had to re-apply for their SBA loan, but that happened during a federal government shutdown, resulting in further delays. It's inside-baseball stuff, but Vernetti says the important point is the founders haven't simply been sitting on the bench.
"It certainly didn’t look like we were alive," he admitted. But he says the naysayers who said nothing was happening didn't know how much was going on behind the scenes. "We were always doing something, and we were working on it." Much of the effort since 2017 has been put into strategizing the project operations, streamlining the processes and user experience on their website—www.ballparksnational.com—and strategizing for what they knew would be the eventual launch. In fact, he says optimistically, this prolonged delay will likely save them many growing pains. "I think we’ll make fewer mistakes, off the bat," he said, referencing the ample strategizing behind the scenes.
Maybe the last 38 months were less of a rain delay, then, and more like spring training. The project was half-finished when it ground to a halt, he said, so it's not as though they're starting from scratch.
And while there were plenty of fair-weather fans, Vernetti says he's thankful for those who have believed in the project and stuck with it. And for those who had doubts, Vernetti says once Ballparks builds it, they will come around.Â
"They will see why they should give us a chance," he said. "We’re going to be a boon to the economy. We’re going to bring over 1,500 families a week; over 100 employees at our peak."
Vernetti also emphasized the project will stand on its own feet, with 100 percent private investment. "No tax dollars will be used to build it," he said.
The Ballparks
"We’ll have all-turf fields," Vernetti said: a change from the original plan. The facility will also have LED lighting, which he calls "really state-of-the-art... able to be controlled from an iPad or a phone." The facility will have nine fields, along with a plaza, fieldhouse, theater, and batting cages.
The first planned tournament will be Labor Day Weekend, 2020, but Vernetti says there will likely be August events as well. Then, 2021 will be the first full season.
The model for drawing tournaments to the facility will be the same as it had been from the beginning. Vernetti said it will be promoted as a vacation destination, with marketing beginning more regionally and expanding as word gets out about this state-of-the-art baseball tournament complex at one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Midwest.
That's why they picked the Lake area in the first place: it has ample amenities that Ballparks National's competitors either don't have, or are required to build. Vernetti explained many ballpark complexes build, as part of their development, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment features. "They’re already here!" he said of the Lake. From lodging to dining to opportunities for family fun, Vernetti says the Lake already has everything in place, and now their job is to simply bring families here to enjoy them during a baseball tournament weekend. To that end, he says Ballparks National is still looking to partner with local businesses as they connect new visitors to the area with places to eat, stay, and play.
As for the re-brand from "Ballparks of the Ozarks" to "Ballparks National," Vernetti explained that was to allow the business to more readily expand to other regions, if the opportunity is presented in the future. But Vernetti said there are not currently any plans to develop a ballpark elsewhere: all their focus is on the Lake of the Ozarks.
Looking back on the last five years, Vernetti mused, "It’s been an unbelievable journey." But after it all, he said confidently, "We’ll be open this year for sure."
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Ballparks National Announcement Video:
https://www.facebook.com/ballparksnational/videos/1340477956137494/
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