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GLOVERSVILLE — With the help of two donors, the first phase of a long-awaited baseball stadium project in Gloversville is slated to wrap up within the next six weeks.
Parkhurst Field Foundation announced on Tuesday that two respective $50,000 donations from the Wesson Group and Tim and Tina Delaney Family Foundation. The total two-stage project is projected to cost $3.6 million, about $1.5 million of which has already been expended.
“This is paying off the bills and getting us ready for the next phase,” said David Karpinski, executive director of the Parkhurst Field Foundation. “Without it, we would’ve had a challenge getting through phase one.”
Dating back nearly a decade were plans to build a multi-field complex for youth baseball tournaments on the 117-year-old grounds of a since-defunct minor league team, the JAGs (Johnstown-Amsterdam-Gloversville). Once fully completed, the complex is expected to contribute about $2 million into the regional economy.
“One of the core goals of The Tim and Tina Delaney Family Foundation is contributing to projects that focus on community betterment, and what a great opportunity to be part of a community project near our hometown,” said Timothy Delaney, who also serves as president of the Wesson Group, in a statement. “We are proud to be part of this community and are looking forward to seeing the success of the Parkhurst Field and the opportunities it’s providing to our community,”
Planning and construction efforts were boosted by a mix of individual donations and high-dollar grants, including about $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds passed down from Fulton County and $500,000 from the state Regional Economic Development Council.
The Mayfield-based Delaneys had made verbal commitments to help bolster the project years ago.
“I, in turn, made a promise to them that we wouldn’t act on the donation until we were in the ground and that it would go purely to the construction of phase one,” said Karpinski.
Construction crews broke down in August 2022.
Parkhurst Field Foundation celebrated the opening of a grandstand last month. The completion of phase one means that Parkhurst Field has all the electric, water and sewer utilities in place to expand across the Harrison Street property.
“It’s showing the momentum,” Karpinski said. “It’s showing the promises that we’re keeping. Certainly, it was the hardest part of project.”
In the second phase of construction, crews will set up three more fields with lights, commemorative brick walkways, space for parking, four batting cages and a vintage train in tribute to the Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville Railroad, which built the original park more than a century ago.
Parkhurst Field Foundation needs about $1 million to break ground on the next stage, which Karpinski hopes it will begin within the next 12 months and end at some point in 2024.
Tournaments will be announced later this summer.
Also expected is the opening of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, a Parkhurst Field Foundation-managed museum across the street. Ballston Spa-based founder Rene LeRoux has run the web-based hall of fame since 2009.
“It’s being built out as we speak,” Karpinski said.
Tyler A. McNeil can be reached at 518-395-3047 or [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook at Tyler A. McNeil, Daily Gazette or Twitter @TylerAMcNeil.
Categories: -News-, Fulton Montgomery Schoharie, News
