A decision on the future of the former Riverside Arena lands has been put off another month.
Riverside Minor Baseball Association put forward a proposal to build a miracle sports field on the site along with other community amenities like a bike trail.
Riverside Minor Baseball proposal for the former Riverside Arena lands. (Photo courtesy of the Riverside Minor Baseball Association)
"There's nothing in the city of Windsor for outdoor facilities of this nature to have children and adults with disabilities to be able to play in a safe manner on a field specifically built for them," says Bill Kell with the Riverside Miracle Park Committee.
Ward 6 Councillor Joanne Gignac referred the proposal and the recommendation to the first meeting of June to give the RMBA and administration time to discuss the proposal.
"It's time that administration has the opportunity to dig down with the Riverside Minor Baseball and find out exactly what it is we're proposing for that site and what they need from us," says Gignac.
Kell is confident that if the city approves a long term lease of the lands they can raise the estimated $2.4-million needed to build the park.
"We hope to meet with city officials let them take a look, digest our plan, take a look to see how the partnering opportunity is there, how the funding is there," says Kell.
A report from City of Windsor administration recommends selling portions of the land for future residential and commercial use and maintaining the current baseball field and Centennial Pool. The recommendation stems back to council direction from nine years ago when council at the time decided to close Riverside Arena in support of building the WFCU Centre. The funds from the sale of the lands were pre-committed to fund the building of the east-end pool at the WFCU Centre. If the lands are not sold the city will have a shortfall of approximately $400,000.
"If council is ready to support the project, and I think it's really a great project, then we're going to have to make direction to administration in order to make right the financial components that were tied to the WFCU Centre," says Gignac.
The issue will be discussed again at the first meeting in June.