Wahconah Park Grandstand Cost Halved to $15M
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The price tag for Wahconah Park's new grandstand has been cut in half, and planners are looking at a "less is more" approach that is sustainable for the future.
In 2023, the park's restoration committee recommended a $30.2 million overhaul of the historic grandstand that was condemned the previous year. Now, the city is considering an approximately $15 million, smaller design within the same footprint, along with a staged approach that allows baseball to be played before the project is complete.
"There's some real, practical changes that we're making, which we think will still meet the spirit and intent of what we're trying to do but also recognizing that, hey, you know, we've got to maintain this thing into the future, and it's got to be designed and constructed in such a way that we can do that,"
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said.
The Historical Commission OKed the demolition of the grandstand on Monday. The plan is to demolish it in April and immediately make provisions to allow baseball on-site. The Pittsfield Suns will be back at the park this season after a two-year hiatus because of the grandstand.
There is no guarantee that the new grandstand will start to materialize in 2026, but the team is working swiftly to meet timelines.
McGrath described the 2023 proposal as an "all-in" design that met the robust needs of baseball players and the wider city. With some scaling down, material changes, and alterations to seating, it was shaved down to half of the original cost estimate.
A fair portion of the overall cost relates to site work, as the floodplain property is prone to flooding. The original civil engineer was not performing to expectations, and SK Design was brought in to take over the job.
Mayor Peter Marchetti ordered the team to scale back the building and take a "less is more" kind of approach, McGrath reported.
The new design works in the same footprint as the original grandstand, utilizing the existing pine piers that were set into the ground in the 1940s for structural integrity. Spectators will have a similar experience once the building is complete, with a mix of fixed seats and benches on either side of the central entryway, which will be replicated in the new design.
The property is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a memorandum of agreement between the Massachusetts Historical Commission stipulates that the city must photograph the original grandstand and include a historical display in the new building.
There will be a similar roof structure, though a little more compact, and it will meet all modern ADA and building codes.
"Currently, that grandstand meets none of it," McGrath said.
"And in fact, there are hazardous materials literally dripping from the ceilings and dripping down the walls. A significant portion of what we are allocating toward demolition is hazardous material remediation on site."
All of the electrical services will have to be extracted from the site, and highlights will be placed off to the side. The city will construct a backstop with poles and fencing or netting around the field to protect onlookers before the grandstand is built. Assurance was given that the city is dedicated to replacing the grandstand.
"It'll be an odd view. I think that the first time you walk toward the park and see the grandstand gone, it's going to be singularly weird. I'm not going to lie," McGrath said.
On Jan. 16, the Parks Commission will see an update from S3 Design and the owner's project manager, Skanska, including a description of site preparation work after the grandstand is demolished and a look into the new design.
While not all of the financing is in place for the project, it was allocated $3 million through Congressman Richard Neal's office, and "the mayor believes that he can raise and appropriate a certain amount of capital funds to meet what invariably will be approximately a $15 million project," McGrath said.
He added that Pittsfield's history with baseball is to be celebrated, and he sees the city ready to fund a new grandstand more modestly.
"This city deserves a grandstand at that location," he said.
"It's not only about baseball, it's a community gathering space. Baseball really has kind of been the central theme, but at the end of the day, Wahconah Park is also a spirit that we carry as a community."
The civil engineer is working hard to find the best solution for on-site flooding. Because of the park's location, it will always flood to some extent, McGrath said, but the goal is to make sure that it floods in a designated area and doesn't leave a mess afterwards.
In December, the Parks Commission accepted a negotiating rights agreement between the city and longtime summer collegiate baseball team, the Pittsfield Suns. It solidifies that the two will work together when the historic ballpark is renovated.
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