The reconstruction of the batting cages at the upper field of Posse Grounds Park was completed on Wednesday, March 1, just in time for the start of the Little League baseball season.

The project cost $7,900, according to Rachel Murdoch, city of Sedona Parks and Recreation manager.

The old cage measured 16 feet wide, 100 feet long and 10 feet high. One dimension was changed from the old one to the new: Its width now measures 12 feet.

Ray Wilson, a supervisor at Yavapai Fence, said that the cage had to be narrowed in order for it to support the weight of snow; the roof of the former cage collapsed for that very reason on Christmas night.

Removing the old cage and building the new one took about one week, but the crew from Yavapai Fence, who also constructed the old cage, was slowed by recent poor weather. In total, Wilson estimated six days worth of work from start to finish.

Wilson noted that the most difficult part of the project was tearing down the old cage due to the fact that it had caved in on itself.

“Putting it back up after we tore it down was a piece of cake,” Wilson said.

The old cage only needed three of its walls to be replaced, since one is shared with the fence that lines part of the upper field and was not damaged in the collapse. Once removed, the crew placed vertical poles to provide the frame, then added the side fencing, the roof and finally the gate.

“I don’t think there were any problems other than the weather slowing them,” Murdoch said. “We’re glad it’s up.”

The project took two months to complete because, according to Murdoch, there is a long procurement process; it is not as simple as hiring and paying a company to do it.