A groundbreaking Adaptive Sports Complex recently opened in South St. Louis County, Missouri thanks to a collaborative effort between the St. Louis Cardinals' charitable foundation Cardinals Care, Gateway Region YMCA, Boniface Foundation, and Miracle League. KAI, a leading architecture, engineering, and construction firm, played a crucial role in bringing this unique project to life by providing architecture, MEP engineering, and project management services. St. Louis-based Planning Design Studio led the project and provided landscape architecture services.
The $5.5 million South County YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex is the first of its kind in Missouri and one of only 46 in the United States. This state-of-the-art complex offers children with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joys and benefits of playing sports in an inclusive environment.
“We recognize the incredible impact adaptive sports programs have on the well-being of youth with special needs as well as on our community. We look forward to ensuring the success of this amazing new facility and cannot wait for the children to be able to ‘play ball’,” said Win Reed, Chairman of the Boniface Foundation, expressing his enthusiasm for the project.
At the heart of the complex lies a custom-designed Miracle League baseball field featuring a cushioned, barrier-free surface and accessible dugouts to accommodate players of all abilities. The field captures the essence of Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, complete with a silhouette of the iconic Gateway Arch in the outfield.
The field was officially dedicated Paul Goldschmidt Field on June 25, honoring the St. Louis Cardinals’ MVP first baseman. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured several notable presenters, including St. Louis Cardinals play-by-play broadcaster John Rooney, Gateway Region YMCA Board Chairman Jon Rosenstengel, Boniface Foundation Board Chairman Win Reed, St. Louis Cardinals President Bill Dewitt III, and Cardinals First Baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Beyond the baseball field, the complex boasts a soccer field, running track, outdoor fitness area, playground, office space, concession building, covered pavilion, family-style restrooms, and parking – all designed with accessibility as a top priority. St. Louis-based Musick Construction served as the general contractor.
"This project is a wonderful representation of what KAI is really built to do,” said KAI CEO Michael B. Kennedy. “It’s our mission to drive the concept of transforming communities outside the mainstream for those who may not have the same amenities that are taken for granted by other groups. This is a perfect example of that, when you have an entire facility built on a regional and national scale that is really driven for adaptive use where everybody can participate and have fun. We're thrilled to be involved and look forward to seeing the complex thrive and fulfill the vision we and the owners have for this remarkable facility."