Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park.
Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue.
The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting.
A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court.
Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition.
"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said.
Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey.
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use.
"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.
"… Inline skates can be used on the new surfacing, which will be installed as part of this."
The Parks Commission endorsed the project last month, pointing to the rink's aging, cracked-filled concrete surface. After the council’s affirmative vote, a grant donation agreement will be executed, and the mini pitch is expected to be built in late August or early September.
Pittsfield has received a $10,000 donation from the Mill Town Foundation to remove the old boards and prepare the site. It will be on the next City Council agenda.
Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren recalled using the park while growing up in the city.
"I think this is wonderful," he said.
"Number one, if we update anything, it's good for the City of Pittsfield, especially if it's at somebody else's expense."
The system comes with a light that McGrath said they don’t plan to use at the moment, as electricity would have to be run into the park, but it would be used after much neighborhood conversation.
The mini-pitch surface is expected to last about 15 years, and the rest of the system is galvanized steel. It is "low to no cost" into the future, and very low maintenance, McGrath said, less than the current facility.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s associate vice president of operations and legal, Alex Bard, wrote: "We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the City to create a high-quality space for youth and community members to play, stay active, and connect."
Tags: public parks, soccer,
