This past month, there has been a proposal to demolish Roberts Stadium to build 4 youth baseball fields that will be coupled with 4 other fields to make a complex that will also have batting cages and training facilities. While the plan looks great on the surface, there are a few tweaks that I believe need to be made.
First of all, the plan is in the wrong location. As I've said in a previous post on this blog, Roberts Stadium should not be demolished. It is historic and still has great potential to be either a Jehovah Witness church or a waterpark resort. So where should the baseball fields be placed?
In a perfect world, I would place the baseball fields next to Garvin Park. I would demolish some of the dilapidated manufacturing plants next to the park and place them there. Why? There are several reasons for doing this.
1. There is more land next to Garvin: The land from Garvin Park all the way down to First Ave should be easy to obtain minus the Humane Society building. Furthermore, they would elminate the current eyesores that are down there.
2. The design would look nicer: Imagine all of the youth baseball fields next to a Coney Island development which is settled off of Pigeon Creek. That is the potential that the Garvin Park site has. Also, Garvin Park is already famous for having the third oldest baseball ballpark as well as several youth baseball fields already built. The new fields would fit in perfectly.
3. The Garvin Park plan has more potential for surrounding development: It is my belief that if a baseball complex is built next to Garvin, you will begin seeing a massive redevelopment of the area. As noted from a previous post, I see baseball museums, old time diners and shops, Coney Island attractions, and cable cars going down Main Street.
On a side note, my second location choice would be the state hospital grounds. Whether it's Garvin Park or the state hospital grounds, demolishing Roberts Stadium should not be an option.
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