Riverview Park taking construction break – The Star

Traffic patterns in a small portion of North Augusta will undergo a major change in a few days, with the start of the annual Nike Peach Jam.

The basketball tournament, featuring the country's top teen talent, comes this year in the midst of a massive construction project designed to add two gyms, to give Riverview Park Activities Center a total of six. Play is to start Wednesday and run through Sunday.

At the helm is Rick Meyer, director of the North Augusta Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Referring to construction, he said, "It stops Tuesday, but what you'll see Monday will be very limited. There won't be anything major going on. They'll push a little bit of dirt around, and it's ... finishing the cleanup, to make the site look as neat as possible when Wednesday rolls around."

With the park's landscape having changed, new parking plans are in place. "I think the biggest change you'll see is that we will designate parking areas for different groups, due to the construction. We haven't done that too much, because there was plenty of ... room to get around."

Meyer, offering examples, said there will be one designated area for NCAA coaches, and another one for volunteers, workers and staff.

As usual, valet parking will be offered for the teams and "a handful of Nike VIPs," he said.

"We'll have a traffic cop," he added, confirming plans for the North Augusta Department of Public Safety to have a representative on hand for the afternoon and evening sessions, when traffic is normally heaviest. Other municipal employees will be on hand during other hours, to help keep traffic flowing.

Helping with the indoor hospitality is Mike Chavous, who is also in parks, recreation and tourism. He leads culinary outreach to the teams (53 the most in the event's history) and coaches alike.

The volunteer corps, representing First Baptist Church of North Augusta and TrueNorth Church, numbers 126 "136 with the guys who do the grilling," Chavous said.

Rooms were set up Friday and Saturday, "and Monday, we'll be cutting peaches," he added. "Tuesday, the food comes in. Wednesday is the banquet."

Several teams play Wednesday evening, but most start Thursday. The championship game is set for Sunday at 2 p.m., with live coverage to be on ESPNU.

Go here to see the original:
Riverview Park taking construction break - The Star