Commack Park To Undergo $4 Million Renovation

COMMACK, NY - Town of Smithtown officials recently announced that a Commack park will be undergoing a $4 million renovation.

Flynn Memorial Softball Complex on Old Commack Road will be getting a face lift courtesy of David Swift Architects and RDA Landscape Architecture, who led a presentation during the April 9 work session.

This will be the first renovation/rebuild for the park since it was constructed in 1979.

"Flynn Memorial was once an economic boom for the town of Smithtown," Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said. "Based on favorable discussions with the USSSA, local sports leagues and a number of other major organizations, we are confident that this reconstruction will generate major tournaments while providing our youth with state-of-the-art ball fields to play and compete on."

The park’s four fields will be resurfaced with synthetic turf with a built-in drainage system underneath which will allow playtime after rain and is much friendlier on the environment since it does not require nitrogen fertilizers to maintain.

The fields will also be equipped with warning tracks and pitchers’ warm-up mounds.

The park will feature LED Energy efficient sports lighting for night games, a rare feature among fields across Long Island.

In the center of all four ball fields, a two-story air conditioned building will house a concession stand, pro shop and handicapped accessible bathrooms on the first floor with the second floor for officials, giving them an all access view of the entire field.

The design also includes additional parking and a storage garage to keep field equipment on hand for ease of access.

"We’ve already begun talks with a number of softball leagues and tournaments," town councilman and parks liaison Tom Lohmann. "These weekend events will help to attract tourism, dining and shopping that will help our local mom and pop shops with foot traffic, thousands of dollars in town fees…the potential to revive our small business districts is endless."

The renovations will also included covered bleachers to stay cool in the summer sun as well as protective fencing along the outfield and backstops to protect pedestrians walking from each field.

The playground will also be relocated more central to the fields.

Two of the four ball fields are slated to be completed by 2020 with a completion date ready for the 2021 season.

All renderings courtesy of the Town of Smithtown