HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-06 Newspaper - C'ville park promises growth (pi
C'ville p
arkpromises
growth
,s,i,e.
By ROBERT CREENAN
Staff Reporter
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CORTLANDVILLE—The a -
planned Gutchess Lumber Park 'i'"
in Cortlandville can support
102 jobs and create$2.4 mil-
lion a year in spending,claims - \� a.
•
the Chicago-based consultant •- �� .
that studied the project. y ;
The feasibility study by - .
• `
Market and Feasibility Advi- - _ 4. t
sors goes into specifics like the -
market potential of surround- { I --
ing areas, financial effects, t Nee j PPPr
funding options and sports par-
ticipation trends. The details (",f,jo
paint a picture of the popula- tt : . •a' , _
tion and revenue the complex
is intended to attract into the r A.
• } .
' 111{hilt' --
area. —' `
The studywas completed f s~ -
P +'' •
and received last year,but the
town didn't file the version
containing all the financial and ,10 -
demographic statistics,instead
i
of just executive summaries, L
until its most recent board - ' ` '__
meeting.
The complex,which has been i'
in the planning for three years, .'4 ' — -
will have four baseball dia-
monds,eight soccer fields and \ ' = E-_
three sand volleyball courts.It e
will reside on 100 acres pre- \ ��
viously owned by Gutchess { _
Lumber acquired through a
land swap deal in exchange for Photos by Joe McIntyre/staff photographer
the 6.1 acre Citizens Park. Cortland High School senior Kacie Hubbard,right,gets help from her father Dave Hubbard on Saturday while setting up
for her graduation party at Citizens Park in Cortlandville.The town is working on a plan to move the park to a new site on
Town Supervisor Richard Route 13.BELOW:Several structures that are part of Citizens Park will have to be replaced in a new park.The town plans
Tupper said the town has been to conduct bidding soon for the work,which is expected to be a first phase for a larger park project.
- using this study to show the
project is economically feasi-
•
ble.He insists it would benefit BY the numbers
- restaurants, hotels and shop- Some statistics from the
ping areas, which would see completed study:
r
influxes of patrons when tour- a 956,234 people livewithin a 60-minute drive
naments are happening. _'
of Cortland County, x n
It's like the Field of according to he U.S. ' ,
ld it,
Dreams.
come,"Tupper you tsaid. they Cens•1.8 us miBon lliive within f Ili'-'-
� !
The next steps f the process 120 minutes of Cortland wry .; r.,��.li-.�s:-'�
will be to invite bids for the County. i ' - 0 ._
•21.9 million people live �,����..,,� � 9°.,-'
construction and to find fiord- tvithin four hours. S ^-+- :
ing sources for the$9.8 mil- •Estimated cost of con-
lion project. struction is$9.8 million.
The town plans to issue •Long-term projections - _ -
bond anticipation notes within for operating and visiting 'S~-
the next two to three months predict$767,252 in local
and state tax revenue an- - -.
and seek state grants. It will malty and$2.4 million in ems„
also look into corporate fund- spending.
ing, with money potentially a The construction would
coming in from professional support4l consWo-
sports teams and the United Lion jobs,$1.8 million in _
income and$223,000 in
States Soccer Federation.Bids state and local taxes.'
for construction will be heard SOURCE:Market and
this fall. Feasibility Advisors
Tupper hopes the first phase
of construction will start later .
this year,which includes two lic interest in the project will fields all in one place.For now, arate facilities.Phelps says not it's complete. He acknowl-
artificial turf baseball dia- build up. the council must schedule its only can those competitions be edges the town doesn't have
monds, underground utilities, When fully completed,Cor- events at several complexes. held at Gutchess Park,but they the funding at the moment to
the parking lot, and walking tlandville hopes to host travel This includes existing high could add other sports into the construct the whole complex
paths, tournaments,high school base- school facilities, which must mix as well,like field hockey at once.But within three years
As part of the land swap ball, soccer, lacrosse, Little accommodate the high school and cross-country. after completion, the facility
deal completed in February, League games and NCAA teams'schedule. "We could have a real tour- will blossom into an economic
the town will be allowed to op- games. The council manages high nament atmosphere here," engine.
erate Citizen's Park for an ad- Machell Phelps,the execu- school championships in girls Phelps said. "A lot of these competitions
ditional two years as construc- tive director of the Cortland lacrosse,soccer,a travel soc- Tupper speculates the whole we'll host last three days,"
tion progresses.Tupper hopes Regional Sports Council,says cer tournament, and the Em- complex will be completed Tupper said. "Not everyone
that once construction starts, that event organizing will be pire State Senior Games, but within 10 years,taking about will be at a ballpark for that
sooner rather than later,pub- easier with this assortment of they are often held across sep- three to four phases before time."