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Dry Creek Park's new building is expected to be ready by May 1, and the Hayden Parks and Recreation Department is waiting eagerly.

Department Director Kathy Hockett will move from her quarters in the Town Hall's conference room, and Parks Superintendent Dave Bantam will have workspace in the building, Hockett said. The building also will include a garage, restrooms, an unfinished commercial kitchen for concessions and shaded outdoor space.

"I think it's going to be a great building for future growth and (will) be able to accommodate Hayden for at least possibly 10 years, depending on how much the department grows," Hockett said.

The building is about 2,000 square feet. A porch and a pavilion add another 1,000 each. The town started getting building designs in February 2007, and construction began in August 2008, Hockett said. The town is paying for the $405,000 structure with town funds and energy impact grants.

Hayden resident Rodney McGowen owns Petra General Contractors, which is handling the project.

"The town has been wanting to build this building for a long time," McGowen said.

He said his company worked to get the price tag down to what Town Manager Russ Martin said was feasible. McGowen works closely with the town as chairman of the Hayden Economic Development Commission.

The building at the park, which is off Poplar Street near the Routt County Fairgrounds, will be finished by the time bats start swinging, he said.

"We're going to make ball season, and that's what they wanted to do anyway," McGowen said. "The only thing that could be a delay is if the creek floods like it did last year. That could slow us down."

Project Superintendent Bill Matt showed off the building Thursday.

"We're putting in beetle-kill pine for all the outdoor ceilings," Matt said. "It looks really neat, really rustic-looking."

The outdoor pavilion is Matt's favorite part. It includes lighting and fans, as well as plenty of space for Triple Crown families and other users to picnic, he said. The town has agreed to let Triple Crown use the baseball fields in exchange for funding from the city of Steamboat Springs to finish them.

Hockett said the town couldn't fund a complete commercial kitchen. She said it still could be used for concessions. If Hayden finds cash to finish the kitchen, all the plumbing and infrastructure will be ready, McGowen said.

The building space could cater to all kinds of events, Hockett said.

"Outdoor wedding receptions, outdoor concerts, that type of thing," she said. "And the building was actually designed after the museum building, which is the depot, the Hayden Depot. : They are just starting on the brick, and the brick will really distinguish it."

- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234

or e-mail bterrell@steamboatpilot.com