The dream of a barrier-free baseball diamond in Chatham has hit a snag.
The Chatham Sports Hall of Fame has announced that the Chatham Dream Field Project has become too expensive and complicated for it to handle, more than quadrupling in cost from its original price tag of $750,000 to approximately $4 million.
"The scale of administration, accounting, and fundraising required for a project of this size now exceeds the capacity of a volunteer-run Hall of Fame," said Hall of Fame Board of Directors Chair Tom Baker.
The Hall of Fame believes the most effective path forward is for the Dream Field Steering Committee to establish a new, dedicated organization with its own charitable status to guide the project through the approval process, lead the fundraising campaign, and oversee construction.
"This will give the Dream Field the focused leadership it requires while allowing [the Hall of Fame] to return our resources to our core mission of celebrating and preserving Chatham-Kent’s sports heritage," Baker said.
The Hall noted its decision is not a withdrawal of belief in the Dream Field, and it remains supportive of its vision, adding that they are open to considering a future financial contribution once the fundraising campaign begins, if it aligns with the Hall's objectives at that time.
The move ends a formal partnership with the Chatham Minor Baseball Association (CMBA) on the Dream Field Project in Chatham.
"[The Hall of Fame] has been proud to partner with CMBA and the municipality in advancing the vision for a state-of-the-art baseball facility for our community. The Dream Field remains an exciting and worthwhile initiative, and we are deeply appreciative of the time, energy, and commitment that so many have already invested in making it a reality," said Baker.
The Hall of Fame promises a smooth transition.
Meanwhile, the municipality says the field is listed in the latest update of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, but needs external funding to move forward.
The concept design is complete, and the next step is a detailed design of the park development, said Chatham-Kent Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Rob Pollock.
"The costs associated with the detailed design is to be paid for by the Dream Field Committee. Once the detailed design is complete, the committee would be responsible for funding the park development," Pollock noted. "Administration is still looking to work with this group or a new group if that was formed, to determine how this project can keep moving forward."
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is expected to go to Council for approval next month.
