By William C. Singleton III
The planned $80 million sports complex has a new name. In fact, it has two.
The overall facility will be called the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. The 155,000-square-foot indoor multiple-purpose center will be called The Finley Center, after the late Bob Finley, a Berry High School football coach.
The complex will include the indoor center and NCAA regulation-size fields for soccer, football and lacrosse; NCAA regulation-size baseball fields that also can be used for softball; tennis courts, a walking track; and a pro shop.
The new names replace the one recommended by the Florida firm hired to manage the sports complex. The firm, Sports Facilities Management, recommended the name The Alabama Sports and Events Center and The BAM as a nickname. But residents complained that the name didn’t reflect the community and wasn’t identified enough with the city of Hoover.
City Councilman Casey Middlebrooks said the new names capture the essence of Hoover.
“I think it absolutely fits,” he said. “The public had a chance to have its say. Now the public owns the name and now this sports development can start being a positive thing for the city and we can be proud of it.”
City officials asked residents to recommend names, and The Hoover Metplex was the top recommendation. However, the web domain for that name already had been claimed, so the city went with the second choice offered by residents, Middlebrooks said.
“They wanted Hoover to be represented in the name and promote our city nationwide,” he said.
The new council approved the names at its Nov. 7 meeting.
The indoor facility is scheduled to be completed by May 2017 and the fields by February 2018.
