(Submitted photo)

By Alison Sandstrom

Play ball!

City and P.A. Minor Baseball partner on plan to renovate Crescent Acres diamonds

Apr 21, 2021 | 12:21 PM

The City of Prince Albert is partnering with the Prince Albert Minor Baseball Association on a plan to renovate three Crescent Acres ball diamonds.

The main focus of phase one of the project will be expanding one of the diamonds to accommodate 15-U baseball play. Other improvements include adding more storage capacity, the installation of pitching mounds, players bench improvements, fencing repairs, new shale and improvements to spectator seating areas.

The changes will allow the baseball association to host tournaments and provincial championships for all age categories, something they haven’t been able to do since 2014 when the former Lew Hobson Field was converted for softball. The change was made with the P.A. Baseball Association’s support and it ultimately allowed Prince Albert to host the World Junior Softball Championship.

On Monday night, city council gave the city’s community services department the green light to begin work on the initial phases of the Crescent Acres renovations project, including determining the project’s budget and identifying funding opportunities like grants and naming rights.

“This is a great day for the kids of P.A.,” Duane Krip, president of the Prince Albert Minor Baseball Association told paNOW following the council meeting. “We’ve got a strong ball program and a lot of kids that are moving up from our Junior Rally Cap, Senior Rally Cap and 11-U that will be using these diamonds in the next few years.”

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Krip said there is no timeline yet for when the improvements could be completed, but some work may be completed this year.

An aerial view of the Crescent Acres diamonds shows the proposed changes to field #2. (Council Agenda Package/City of P.A.)

Several members of council were also enthusiastic about the proposed renovations.

“This could be the new hub for baseball,” Mayor Greg Dionne told the meeting, adding the area already has washrooms and a concession presenting a great opportunity for further development of the diamonds.

“I think this is a win for baseball,” said Coun. Blake Edwards. “I think this is a win for our kids in the community most importantly.”

He explained he intends to withdraw his other motions designed to make the Kinsmen Diamond at Prime Minister’s Park more accessible to baseball should the renovations at the Crescent Acres diamonds be approved.

Further down the road, a proposed phase two of the project could see the installation of lighting and scoreboards at all three Crescent Acres diamonds.

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Alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom