The Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex, 4900 Byrnesville Road, in House Springs is shut down following an explosion Tuesday night, July 4, that damaged a building where two restrooms, a concession stand and a utility room were housed, said Tim Pigg, director of the county Parks and Recreation Department.
He said the building is a safety hazard and must be removed and completely replaced.
“We’ll have to take the building down due to extensive damage,” Pigg said.
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the park at 10:43 p.m. on July 4 for what initially was reported as a fireworks-related complaint, said Grant Bissell, the Sheriff’s Office public safety information coordinator.
When the deputy arrived, he did not spot any people there but noticed significant damage to the building that housed the restrooms and concession stand. The area reportedly was littered with fireworks debris, Bissell said.
He said a crime scene analyst is still investigating the matter and no arrests had been made as of today, July 5.
“It’s really uncivilized behavior,” Pigg said. “It’s not funny, it’s not cute, and it’s going to cost a lot of money.”
He estimated it would cost between $100,000 and $200,000 to replace the building with a prefabricated structure, based on similar buildings in the area.
According to the Parks and Recreation Facebook page, the closure of the park is temporary so workers can clean up the area.
Pigg said the building was partially torn down and removed today, and he hopes the rest of it is removed by the weekend.
Pigg said the park will be reopened as soon as possible, but safety comes first.
The Sports Complex is a 20-acre facility with four baseball fields, a walking trail, a skate park, a pavilion, picnic tables and restrooms. Youth instructional soccer, T-ball, adult softball and other sports activities are held at the complex, according to the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation website.