TRYON – The Town of Tryon recently reaffirmed its unanimous support of the Harry Dallara Baseball Park at Harmon Field.

Tryon Town Council met May 16 and voted unanimously to do a public reaffirmation of the town’s support of the project.

Last year, both the town and the Harmon Field Board of Supervisors gave its support for the fundraising to continue for the Dallara baseball park at Harmon Field after meeting with representatives of the project.

The Harry Dallara Foundation is attempting to raise approximately $1.4 million to create a statue of Harry Dallara, baseball field improvements, a splash park, spectator area improvements and a tribute to the Tryon All-Stars. The estimated construction is expected to cost $1.025 million with the foundation also planning annual incremental maintenance endowments of $20,000, according to figures presented to the town in February 2016.

Charles Dallara said would honor his father, Harry, who loved Tryon and Harmon Field. Harry Dallara passed away in 2012, three days after his last visit to Harmon Field at the age of 95.

Harry Dallara, of Spartanburg, found Harmon Field in the 1950s and visited often with his family.

Charles Dallara said the foundation wants to include some parts of the community who were not privileged to play at Harmon Field when they were young men so the project is proposing to have a sculpture of the Tryon All-Stars, an African American semi-pro baseball team from Tryon that began in the 1940s.

The foundation is working with Will Behrends, a world-renowned sculptor and resident of Tryon to create a statue of Harry Dallara. The statue will be from a picture of Dallara in his 90s swinging a baseball bat wearing khakis and a hat. Behrends will also create the sculpture of the Tryon All-Stars.

The foundation is also working with Mark Byington, a landscape architect of Tryon.

The Harry Dallara Baseball Park is proposed to be located at and around the baseball field close to the children’s playground near the Harmon Field cabin.

The baseball field improvements are proposed to include a new electronic scoreboard, new dugouts with covers, new backstop, fencing and gates and drainage and infield improvements.

Parking and walkway improvements are proposed to include new concrete walks connecting the ball field, concession stand, parking and restrooms.

A water play area is proposed to include a splash pad, an equipment building, stone veneer and new pergola for the existing restroom building and a new pergola with a shade cover, seating and stage performance provisions for sound and lights as well as new trees and landscaping.

Other proposed improvements include new bleachers, new lighting, a concrete sculpture plaza with seating and masonry walls and columns and trees and landscaping along with the Dallara and Tryon All-Stars statues.

For more information,  drawings of the project, and to learn more about Harry Dallara visit harrydallarafoundation.org.