Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Piece by piece, the nearly 2,000-acre Harbins Park is coming together.

This week, commissioners approved the construction of another recreational activity to the county's largest park, allowing work to move ahead on a baseball/softball complex.

The Luke Edwards Road park opened in 2009, featuring a wide network of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, as well as a playground and pavilion.

The active elements were delayed by politics and concerns about operational costs. But in September, commissioners broke ground on a $5.9 million project to add a multi-purpose field, surrounding by a track, which would be used by the youth football, lacrosse and soccer programs that feeds into Archer High School.

That work also includes a concession building, pavilion, playground, dog park and paved trail on the Indian Shoals Road side of the park.

The newest contract -- a $5.3 million job to be completed by the Astra Group beginning next year -- will add the youth sports baseball program to the New Hope Road side of the park.

Community Services Director Phil Hoskins said the football and baseball projects were awarded separately because they are more than a mile apart. Plus, it allowed the work on the multi-purpose field to begin sooner.