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Press
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
$2
Million in Grants Clears Way for New Berkeley Sports Fields
Two new
grants nearly complete fundraising effort for major sports field complex
on Gilman Street. Construction
is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2006. Berkeley, CA –
An ambitious plan for five new sports fields at the foot of Gilman
Street in Berkeley took a giant step forward when two separate $1 million
state grants were awarded to the project.
These grants, which bring the total funds raised for the playing
fields to $5 million, will be provided to the East Bay Regional Parks
District as part of the joint project with State Parks, Berkeley and four
other cities. The Association
of Sports Field Users, Citizens for Eastshore State Park, and the Audubon
Society are also partners in this effort. This new funding will allow for the construction of two more sports fields at the site. Of the five planned fields, four are now completely funded. Efforts are underway to secure the final $1 million to complete the entire project. The complex will include two year-round illuminated soccer fields, two softball fields, and a full-sized baseball diamond. Construction is set to begin in May of 2006, with the first fields opening four months later. You can view the site design at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/mayor/docs/gilmanfields.pdf The project is guided by a Joint
Powers Authority set up by the five member cities.
That group is led by Mayor Bates and staffed primarily by the
Cities of Berkeley and Albany. The
other cities involved are Richmond, El Cerrito and Emeryville. “This has been a true regional
effort by two parks systems, five cities, and many community groups to
meet the pressing need for more places for young people and adults to
participate in sports,” said Mayor Tom Bates. “People said it
wasn’t possible for us to move this quickly, but we are proving them
wrong. I look forward to
cutting the ribbon on these new sports fields by this time next year.” "This
additional grant money means that we are significantly closer to meeting
the needs of the 150,000 people who will use this sports complex each
year,” said Doug Fielding, President of the Association of Sports
Field Users. "I hope
the Gilman Fields project can be a model for how different governmental
agencies can work together to solve other regional problems." “We
are delighted with this award, and thank our partners at the East Bay
Regional Park District for their efforts in securing these grants.
The new funds will allow us to construct additional facilities in
the project's first phase, and provide much needed relief to the sports
field shortage in Berkeley and the East Bay,” said Marc Seleznow,
Berkeley’s Director of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront. Funding
for the project has come from the following sources: ·
$3 million from the Urban Parks
Program (October, 2004) ·
$1 million from the Youth Soccer
and Recreational Development Program (September 2005) ·
$1
million from the State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Program
(September 2005) # # # |
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