Irondale residents will get their first look at the city’s new $8.6 million youth recreation venue this weekend.

The new Ruffner Sports Complex will open on Saturday at 10 a.m. at 301 Ruffner Road. The event is free and open to the public.

Designed for youth sports, the park features three turf fields, LED lighting, two playgrounds, picnic pavilions, shaded seating, a concession stand, restrooms and green space.

The city broke ground on the Ruffner Sports Complex last April.

Milam & Company was general contractor, while Goodwyn Mills Cawood provided landscape and structural architecture, as well as civil, geotechnical and electrical engineering. Kemp Management Solutions provided project oversight.

The complex will open with a community softball game featuring city employees. Complimentary Cracker Jacks, hotdogs, hamburgers and Coca-Cola products will be offered.

The day also will mark the official start of the city’s youth sports season, which includes baseball, softball and t-ball programs for children ages 4 to 12. More than 70 children have pre-registered for this season.

Mayor James Stewart said the complex is also serving as a catalyst for development.

“Foxhound Bee Company is building a beautiful facility adjacent to the park,” Stewart said. “Travel ball teams have booked out multiple weekends, and our access point to the Ruffner Mountain trail system will now have additional parking and promotion,” he said.

Construction for the new 5,000-square-foot beekeeping store will begin this month, with opening planned for September.

The sports complex is the latest component of a massive revamp of several city venues in Irondale, which includes a new municipal complex, public library, civic center, fire station and water department maintenance building.

The city’s Tails by the Rails Dog Park opened last October, and construction of the new Irondale Public Library is expected to be completed in late summer. The city anticipates breaking ground on its municipal complex and an $18-million Civic Center renovation later this year.

For more information on Irondale Youth Sports, visit the website.