Kannapolis Downtown Redevelopment + Atrium Health Ballpark

Transforming a historic textile hub into an entertainment district

Sports venues are increasingly reshaping urban development into more immersive mixed-use and self-sustaining experiences. The $52 million Atrium Health Ballpark stadium was built for the Kannapolis Intimidators (rebranded to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers) and is an integral part of a broader downtown revitalization effort in Kannapolis, NC. A transformation of this magnitude required a strategic geotechnical consultant spanning the project timeline, as well as environmental and construction materials testing expertise during construction.  

Challenge: Undocumented fill, contamination, hidden hazards

The site presented layered obstacles: undocumented fill soils with petroleum contamination exceeding North Carolina Action Levels and uncovered asbestos-containing materials.

Solution: Several borings, ReMi survey, phased environmental response

Great experiences are built on careful subsurface explorations that game goers don’t see. In addition to several initial soil tests performed at depths of 10 to 40 feet across four exploration phases, a 280-foot Refraction Microtremor (ReMi) survey helped confirm adequate weighted average, which upgraded the clients’ seismic design class (SDC) and consequently saved them time and money.  The project was successfully kept on schedule, paving the way for the ballpark to be voted the 2021 winner for Low-A Best of the Ballparks fan vote.