Lorain has high hopes for park’s second year
Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — Just a year after the Pipe Yard made its debut, the start of a second, more profitable season is around the corner.
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| STEVE MANHEIM / CHRONICLE |
| Lorain officials expect a profitable year for the Pipe Yard in its second season of hosting games.
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The field was never meant to be a moneymaker for the city — “money in, money out,” as Lorain Mayor Tony Krasienko has referred to the field as to where it falls within the city’s budget.
But the field had always been expected to cover its own bases, and it will this year, and then some.
The Pipe Yard’s projected 2008 profit is more than $8,300 — a staggering amount considering the field’s profit last year was $11.
Lorain Parks and Recreation Director Bob Renney said while the additional funds are nice, the real bonus is more widespread and harder to measure.
“The economic impact of the facility isn’t simply calculated by revenue over expenses,” he said. “Any time you have an influx of people coming to town, it can be felt in all the area’s businesses.”
The additional funds will be used to pay for “nickel and dime” items intended to improve the stadium, such as replacing landscaping or fixing the occasional broken toilet.
Like last season, high school, college and semipro baseball teams have filled the Pipe Yard’s calendar with more than 135 games scheduled through August.
Lorain also will remain the home of Cleveland State University’s baseball team and could be for years to come, Renney said.
Cleveland State Head Coach Kevin Kocks told city officials during a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting that the stadium makes a difference for him when he recruits and how appreciative both he and his team were to have the field to use.
“This is a great facility for us to help change our image and build our program,” he said. “This will help to get us on the track that we need to be on.”
The upcoming season will also feature the popular high school rivalry series, which has been expanded to include multiple team matchups from around the county.
“The staggering success of the Southview-Admiral King game last year made it obvious that we needed to bring more teams in,” Renney said.
With the addition of the Pipe Yard and Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academies, the city has begun to attract a unique sports following, Renney said.
“Lorain is starting to add more reasons to visit,” he said. “The Pipe Yard is just one more spot on that map.”
Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram March 24th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 8% |
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Comment from
pennypit
March 28, 2008, 11:30 am
Where is the field located and where are schedules posted? That should have been included in the article.
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