The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has identified a preferred location for a new regulation-size baseball diamond in Chatham.
A report by Manager of Parks and Recreation Ian Clark going to Council Monday evening suggests the current Kiwanis Stadium soccer field beside Fergie Jenkins Field at Rotary Park in Chatham as the preferred location for the new baseball diamond subject to design work and final approval from Council at a later date.
The new fully accessible regulation-size ball diamond was given Council's blessing in January 2024.
If approved, the diamond will be capable of hosting events for players aged 14 and up and Challenger Baseball programs for those with cognitive or physical disabilities including the use of a wheelchair.
The committee discussed buying new land for the ball diamond, going to Pain Court’s Centennial Park, or selecting Kiwanis Stadium soccer field and chose the latter.
Clark said the committee did not choose to purchase new land because of uncertainty around the time it would take to buy land and its added cost, according to the report. Centennial Park in Pain Court was not picked either because it wasn't accessible enough.
The municipality also said some parking will be lost at Memorial Arena if the field goes ahead.
The municipality anticipates moving the soccer field next to Fergie Jenkins Field at Rotary Park to the future rugby/soccer pitch to be constructed at the new Regional Park along Bear Line Road by 2027, Clark wrote.
If the baseball diamond site gets approved, the Field of Dreams Committee will then be authorized to fundraise for its capital cost, estimated to be around $2.5 million.
The municipality would be responsible for the cost of detailed design and engineering services because the diamond would be owned, operated, and maintained by the municipality and final design specifications will impact those ongoing costs.
The diamond would also be part of the Municipal Asset Management Plan and could need additional netting and higher fences to mitigate impacts on surrounding municipal assets, according to the report.
The $35,000 cost of the design work for the new diamond and future site requirements will be referred to the 2025 budget if the project is approved.