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JCC Hopeful Upgraded Stadium Will Draw More Students

By Eric Tichy 5 min read

SUNY Jamestown Community College is continuing to promote its "Field of Dreams" with a proposed redevelopment of Russell E. Diethrick Park. To the college, the benefits are clear: if they build it, others will come.

President Daniel DeMarte provided the college's Board of Trustees an update on what has become a years-long effort to upgrade JCC's sports facilities to help boost lagging student numbers.

"This project, unlike some of the others we've talked about the last two to three years, has a direct impact on enrollment and what happens in the residence halls," DeMarte said last week.

As recently as last fall, the college had promoted the construction of a new soccer field as part of larger overall sport facility upgrades. However, county lawmakers eventually axed nearly $1 million from the 2023 budget for the soccer field project, which also would have needed college and state funding.

Instead, as indicated by DeMarte, JCC is focusing on redeveloping an aging Diethrick Park to host baseball, softball and soccer games on artificial turf.

To make that happen, he said, it would make more sense financially if the city of Jamestown transferred the park to JCC.

In order to have access to "critical capital funding," DeMarte said JCC would need to own the facility, already used by the college's baseball team as well as the Jamestown Tarp Skunks of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. Other funding for upgrades, previously estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars, would come from the state, county and college itself.

DeMarte said a business plan currently being written needs to be done prior to the May meeting of the Chautauqua County Planning Board when members hear capital project requests. Planning members will then prioritize the projects before making a recommendation to county lawmakers.

MAKING THE CASE

Steven Abdella, counsel for JCC, told trustees that conversations were held prior to the COVID-19 pandemic between then-Mayor Sam Teresi and college administrators. Talks included transferring the park to JCC with the understanding that certain activities held at the stadium would continue.

At the time, Abdella noted, the city was dealing with a budget that was at its constitutional taxing limit. He said officials had to cut expenses where possible, as was the case with funding to James Prendergast Library.

Discussions on how a transfer of the park to the college might work stalled at the arrival of the pandemic. They've recently picked back up with Mayor Eddie Sundquist with participation of County Legislature leadership and the college administration.

"I think things are better for the city now," Abdella said. "But, I think, we can't sugarcoat it, cities like Jamestown in upstate are distressed and, although things got better due to (American Rescue Plan Act) money and other funding coming from the state and federal government, that may not last."

For the city's current 2023 budget, Abdella believes about $196,000 has been allocated toward the stadium. He's not sure how much, if any, is earmarked for capital spending.

He said JCC's facilities, when compared to other community colleges in New York, have lagged when it comes to upgrades.

"To some degree, a project such as being explored here, is in part just to raise us up to equity with our competitors in New York state community colleges," said Abdella, who recommended that any transfer of city property to a community college receive state approval through legislation.

Transferring the park from the city to JCC may be easier said than done, noted Trustee James Griffin, who previously served as mayor of Olean.

Griffin alluded to a water filtration project that had been held up for a year due to a swing set placed on a small parcel of city-owned land. That swing set, he said, meant the lot became a "de facto park" and required state approval to be removed for a new and much-needed water filtration plant.

What's more, Griffin said, Olean had to dedicate a parcel of land of equal size for a new park in order for the transfer to go through.

"We were pretty stunned a swing set could cause us such heartache and expense," he said.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

DeMarte said four of the six closest community colleges in New York have turf fields. He said it's important JCC can appeal to prospective students in its sports offerings.

"Kids are coming here from a high school, perhaps, that has state-of-the-art facilities ... or they're coming from other parts of the country and they're visiting these other colleges and comparing their prices to ours and making a decision on where they want to enroll," he said. "So, direct impact, and something that needs the scrutiny that Steve described."

Maria Kindberg, executive director of the JCC Foundation, said while other upgrade phases have been reviewed, the college will focus on the redevelopment of the stadium.

She said architectural drawings should be arriving soon on three proposals. Two include the demolition of the current, much outdated grandstand, while keeping the outer building that houses the locker rooms, concessions and front offices intact. The third, more pricey, proposal calls for the demolition of everything and "starting from scratch."

But, as Kindberg said regarding the third option, "My guess is that that one might be a little too rich for our blood."

She said JCC is "trying to get the word out there" on the proposed transfer and upgraded, multi-use sports facility. The response, so far, has been favorable.

"Unlike some of the other properties that the college owns now, or has owned in the past like the Sheldon House and other facilities that we've since divested ourselves of, this property will drive enrollment," Kindberg said. "And that's what we're interested in doing, and building upon the programs that we know we can do well and athletics is one of those."

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