Jamestown Community College President Dr. Daniel DeMarte presents to Jamestown City Council on Diethrick Stadium project (November 13, 2023)
Jamestown Community College made their pitch to Jamestown City Council for the city to transfer Diethrick Stadium to them to be turned into a multi-sport venue.
College President Dr. Daniel DeMarte, JCC Foundation Executive Director Maria Kindberg, and legal counsel Stephen Abdella presented on the proposed $30.3 million project, including a new lower cost proposal developed by CPL Architecture.
DeMarte said the main project involves the college accepting transfer of Russell E. Diethrick Park from the City of Jamestown and upgrading it into a turf field that will be able to handle baseball, soccer, and softball games.
He said the State University of New York (SUNY) Capital program would cover 50% of the project cost, with Chautauqua County Government paying 25% or $7.5 million, and JCC picking up the other 25% of the costs.
DeMarte said the facility upgrades are necessary in order to both keep the 160 athletes enrolled at JCC and to be able to recruit new students.
Kindberg said the second proposal received by CPL architects would maintain Diethrick Stadium as solely a baseball facility, but with the addition of artificial turf, “In addition to putting turf in Diethrick Park, there would be a multi-use field in what’s typically called Stadium West. So, that southwest lot outside the park would be converted into a soccer field with a softball field inlaid. And then our current soccer field on campus would also be converted to turf.”
Kindberg said the proposal by CPL has a cost of $27 million. She said the addition of turf fields is a main priority for the college given that teams can still practice and play on turf fields, as opposed to grass, when there has been inclement weather.
She said both the original proposal by Young and Wright Architectural and the CPL proposal keep the Soap Box Derby track as it is next to Diethrick Stadium or move it within the property.
Kindberg added that letters of support for the project have been obtained from area organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, Chautauqua County Visitor’s Bureau, Chautauqua Striders, Collaborative Children’s Solutions, and the Boy Scouts.
DeMarte said JCC needs to submit its request for funding to SUNY by December 8 that would need to include a statement from the city indicating a willingness to transfer the property as well as the county’s willingness to bond in order to fund their portion of the project.
He said he feels confident that SUNY will support the project financially.
Council member Marie Carrubba raised the concern about what would happen if the state legislature did not approve the funding because the proposal doesn’t include park alienation, “I know people have had conversations with Mark Thomas who used to be the former County Executive. He also was the head of State Parks. And his assessment is that it would require alienation, so that other land would have to be set aside. If they don’t approve it, where does that leave this project?”
Abdella expressed the opinion that if the city, county, and college are all behind the project that it’s unlikely the state legislature would not approve it, especially since the project would increase the use of the property for recreational purposes.
Council President Tony Dolce said one legal issue that could come up is the fact that once the city transferred the property, it’s no longer city park land that’s open to all and, instead, a college facility. Abdella countered that it’s still would be owned by a public entity and that the passage of state legislation would answer that question.
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