'Canfield of Dreams' a hit with council
JACK DEWITT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 months, 3 weeks AGO
Gabriel
COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene City Council unanimously voted to approve a Memorandum of Understanding for an indoor baseball complex on Tuesday.
The complex would serve youth baseball players across Coeur d’Alene by giving them an indoor practice facility that can be used during inclement weather and offseason months.
“‘Canfield of Dreams’ would be an amazing addition to Canfield Sports Complex, providing our league to use it for clinics, camps and practices. A great resolution to our battle with snow, sleet and rain,” said Lauren Everson, president of Coeur d’Alene Little League.
Several youth baseball players showed up in baseball jerseys and game attire to support the proposal.
The proposed building would contain interior batting cages, bullpens, a fielding area and a public restroom.
It would also feature rollup doors for outdoor access and the ability for vehicles and machinery to maneuver training gear around the building.
Many youth baseball players and their teams have had to use Spokane or other cities to take advantage of indoor facilities for off-season training.
“As a 30-year coach in Coeur d’Alene, this is a great thing, because we have done that pilgrimage so many times to Spokane, and even down to Lewiston, to try to find facilities to play in,” said Councilmember Kenny Gabriel.
A parking lot sits on the land that the proposed facility will be constructed on, decreasing the amount of parking that the Canfield Sports Complex could support.
However, it was not considered an issue.
“We really don’t have any concerns about creating parking issues because that section of the lot is not used a lot and we don’t anticipate having baseball games while this facility is in use,” said David Everson, architect.
The proposal was reviewed by Coeur d'Alene Parks and Recreation earlier in the year and was unanimously sent to the council.
This was a record-breaking year for CDALL as it already had around 475 kids sign up.
A construction timeline was announced for the project.
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