By Pepper Parr
February 3, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
There is a bit of a kafuffle taking place over the idea of a new club house on the Nelson Stadium grounds.
The Burlington Braves – who are about to roll up their tent and head for St. Catharines where they will start anew, have commented that with the Braves leaving town there is no need for a new club house.
That isn’t quite the way Janine Stodulski sees the refurbing of the stadium. She has her eye on a much bigger prize and is seeing far beyond a single organization using the space. Stodulski is the spokesperson for a collective of more than 20 sports groups who have come together to get a world class stadium for the city in behind Nelson high school.
Early thinking for a refurbished Nelson Stadium
They have made impressive yardage with the board of education and have strong working relationships with the parks and recreation department who seem to have found a number of pockets of money they can use to take the project forward.
There will be meeting rooms in the club house that other sports organizations can use and space for equipment storage.
The existing press box is a hazard – Mayor said the stairs were unsafe two years ago – what did he do then? Not much
There is talk of changing the orientation of the track and field area; getting a new press box in – Cogeco TV seems to be on for a big chunk of change for that structure.
The organizing group will be meeting this evening to update each other and prepare for their next meeting with city council.
The group is very much a go-go organization – if it is going to happen – they will make it so.
Funny how there is all this money for a new stadium, but not to keep the Braves in Burlington.