Summit Softball Concession Stand Ventilation Upgrade
Location: Summit of Softball complex, Chattanooga area, Tennessee
Industry: Municipal recreation and public facilities
Service: Commercial kitchen ventilation and electrical modernization
The Situation
At the Summit of Softball complex, the Red Building concession facility needed a commercial kitchen ventilation system suited to high-volume food-service operations. The Summit Softball concession stand ventilation project called for a UL-listed grease exhaust hood, rooftop exhaust fan, makeup-air equipment, ductwork, fire-suppression integration, and the electrical capacity to support the complete system.
The work had to fit within an existing concession building while the surrounding ballpark continued hosting tournaments. It also extended beyond the kitchen: heat-detector and fire-alarm work involved the Red, Blue, and Maintenance buildings. Success depended on treating the ventilation, electrical, life-safety, roofing, and architectural work as one coordinated installation.
The Challenge
Existing conditions created several constructability constraints. The attic, masonry walls, structural framing, kitchen equipment, and planned hood all competed for limited routing space. Heavy electrical conduit positioned behind the hood could have conflicted with equipment clearances and made the wall harder to keep clean. The proposed electrical panel and transformer locations also needed adjustment to maintain workable door and equipment clearances.
Other interfaces had to be resolved in the field. A new wall louver conflicted with an existing floor-drain vent; intake and exhaust openings required proper separation; and new roof penetrations needed careful flashing and waterproofing. The electrical service transition also affected infrastructure serving an active tournament venue, including ballfield lights and scoreboards.
How We Worked
How We Delivered the Summit Softball Concession Stand Ventilation Upgrade
JBrennon began with field verification, phased demolition, and close coordination among the City, project designers, trade partners, inspectors, and equipment representatives. Constructability input and formal RFIs helped move conduit into the partition behind the hood, relocate electrical equipment, adjust the intake location, and route utilities around structural constraints. Those decisions protected required clearances while improving the finished kitchen's appearance and cleanability.
Mechanical installation progressed from the stainless wall system and louver work to insulated ductwork, refrigerant lines, the rooftop grease exhaust fan, makeup-air equipment, and the outdoor condensing unit. The condensing unit was set on a concrete pad and protected with a fabricated steel cage. Roof openings, flashing, sealants, and building closures were coordinated as each component was installed.
Custom-Designed Rooftop Access System
During inspection, the project team was directed to provide permanent service access to the new rooftop exhaust equipment. JBrennon developed a custom ladder-and-platform system specifically for the existing facility and prepared the design used for fabrication. The hot-dip-galvanized steel platform was assembled at grade, lifted into position with a boom truck, connected to the existing structure, and integrated with a fixed access ladder. The completed system provides durable access for future inspection, service, and maintenance of the rooftop ventilation equipment.
Custom access platform assembled at grade Galvanized rooftop platform lifted into position Fixed access ladder integrated with the existing building Completed rooftop ladder and service platform
Electrical work included upgraded service equipment, feeder conductors, a step-down transformer, a new 208/120-volt panel, contactors, controls, attic wiring, and seven receptacles serving the hood area. During the service transition, temporary generation was staged so ballpark lights and scoreboards could remain energized for tournament operations.
Fire-protection work tied the hood suppression system into the broader life-safety scope. Crews replaced heat detectors in multiple buildings, coordinated fire-alarm panel programming, installed control and communication wiring, and worked through updated GFCI requirements with the design and inspection teams. Equipment startup and testing were coordinated with the manufacturer's technician.
Completed Ventilation, Mechanical, and Electrical Systems
The Outcome
The completed base project brought the concession facility's hood, exhaust, makeup air, electrical distribution, controls, and life-safety components together as one coordinated system. Electrical and fire inspections passed on November 6, 2025, and the facility received a temporary certificate of occupancy, supporting turnover of the base work to the City.
The result is a more capable commercial kitchen environment backed by purpose-built ventilation, upgraded power, and coordinated fire protection. Just as important, the work was sequenced around active ballpark operations, with temporary power and field-driven coordination used to manage critical transitions.
Project Deliverables
UL-listed grease exhaust hood, stainless wall system, and seven under-hood power connections
Rooftop grease exhaust fan, makeup-air equipment, and connected ductwork
Outdoor condensing unit, concrete pad, protective steel cage, and connected refrigerant lines
500-amp, 480/277-volt service equipment, upgraded feeder, step-down transformer, and new 208/120-volt distribution
Hood fire-suppression integration, fire-alarm updates, and heat-detector replacements in three buildings
Coordinated wall and roof penetrations, flashing, waterproofing, closures, drywall repairs, and paint