One of Buffalo most well-known parks is getting a makeover.
The Common Council this week officially approved contracts to construct a new Shoshone Park fieldhouse in North Buffalo, setting the stage for a possible fall groundbreaking on the project.
The agreements between contractors and city lawmakers are the result of the years of planning, community meetings and discussions, according to city officials.
“We are thrilled to embark on this monumental journey towards creating a state-of-the-art facility that will undoubtedly shape the future of Shoshone Park and the entire community,” University District Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt said in a statement Thursday.
Park users have been seeking improvements to the park on Hertel Avenue near Main Street for years. When the fieldhouse plan was announced in 2018, John Hornung, then-vice president of Hertel North Park Youth Baseball League, called it a “game changer” for parents of city children who had to drive to suburban athletic facilities for amenities like the ones that will be coming to Shoshone.
A 2017 report commissioned by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation determined a need exists for an indoor sports facility in Buffalo.
The city is seeking to enhance the services it provides with the proposed 34,484-square-foot indoor sports facility that is designed by Young + Wright Architectural. The facility’s key features will include an indoor multi-purpose turf field, indoor batting cages, a multi-purpose community room that will cater to a variety of athletic events and activities, and support areas for bathrooms, storage, offices and advanced mechanical equipment.
The 1.94-acre site formerly held a pool complex that was demolished in 2019. It is bounded by playing fields to the north, as well as two parking lots and industrial properties. The city also plans to incorporate a right-of-way on Beard into the project.
An existing garage and storage…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply