New south end sports field a go
artnership between DCDSB and city will create a new multi-purpose field at John Pereyma CS
A graphic attached to a city report shows the location of the new sports field adjacent to Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic School. The city will also be considering a remodel of Conant Park, which sits beside the school property, as part of the project.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
City council has officially put stamp to paper, finalizing discussions for a new south end sports field in partnership with the Durham Catholic District School Board.
Approved by council at its meeting on Monday, the new $1-million sports field is set to be constructed beside Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic School, replacing the aging field currently sitting adjacent to the school.
While the current space is smaller than most competition fields, the new facility will include a full track and natural turf field and is set to take up portions of the adjacent site, previously the city’s Conant Works Depot.
The agreement will see the new field be the facility shared between the school board and city, allowing the latter to use the field for municipal purposes after 5 p.m. during the week and over the summer break.
As part of the deal, the city will be covering a quarter of the cost, putting down $250,000 in order to construct a lighting system for the field. Those costs are being referred to the 2018 budget for council’s consideration. Annual maintenance costs of the field will also be the responsibility of the city, coming in at an estimated $16,500 per year.
The project also includes redeveloping the adjacent Conant Park to include a new baseball diamond. Those costs, an estimated $300,000, have also be referred to the 2018 budget.
The new field is a byproduct of a lease agreement signed between the city and DCDSB in 2002, which allowed the school board to use the lands for 10 years. The agreement was extended for another two years in 2013. Despite the agreement’s expiry, certain parts of it remain in place, specifically the responsibly of the two parties to jointly develop the former depot site with the intent of installing a shared-use facility.
However, the redevelopment of Conant Park was not part of that agreement. Despite that, staff believe now is the time to move forward with the upgrade.
“It fulfills the recommendations of the Parks, Recreation, Library and Culture Facility Needs Assessment and is a cost effective method to ensure that the community has access to a premium sports field in this area of Oshawa,” a staff report on the project reads.
That caveat also received support from community members during a public consultation process on the proposed project.
“Feedback from the community was positive overall about both the proposed shared-use facility development and the redevelopment of Conant Park to include a baseball diamond,” the report reads. “Many survey respondents indicated their support for premium sport facilities being considered for the south end of Oshawa and support for the school board ad municipality working together.”