Wahconah Park Committee Looks for Cost Savings on $30M DesignBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:08AM / Tuesday, January 02, 2024 | |
 A comparison of square-footage options as show on Pittsfield Community Television. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Wahconah Park Restoration Committee is beginning work to reduce the project's daunting $30 million price tag.
The panel recently dipped its toes into possibilities for cost savings that include different materials and reducing add-ons that are not essential.
The project designers presented a revised option that shaves off about 7,000 square feet from the 40,000 square foot design valued at $30.2 million.
"We looked at the public space of the project and have a version of the plan that's reduced that is the kind of low-hanging fruit takes away extra public space to try and see how much as a first step area we can take out of the building," said architect Salvatore Canciello, principal of S3 Design.
When the committee recommended an elevated design for the park in September, it was said the cost was a starting point that it would work to reduce and subsidize with exterior funding sources.
During the city's 2023 municipal election, candidates expressed widespread support for the project.
Canciello explained that S3 Design has been looking at the program to see where it can cut interior space while balancing the project goals.
"I think those kinds of conversations being had are important for people to hear that and understand that we are looking at everything," Chair Earl Persip III said.
The selected design totals 40,739 square feet, with more than 28,000 square foot on the lower concourse and a nearly 12,500 square foot upper concourse. One option is to reduce the total size to 33,769 square feet, decreasing the open-air space by more than 6,000 square feet.
"You can see we got rid of a lot of the unconditioned outdoor public space. We've cut down the concourse that wraps around each side and then we condensed this main kind of circulation path a little bit," Canciello said.
"So really your approach into this space either comes up the stairs or up a ramp and then through the main entry to the field and come up to your seats or you can still access the elevator or the stairs and get up to that second level concourse. We just took away a kind of elevated passageway around the building. It's still there and will just happen on the ground."
This doesn't take away program space but changes the circulation of the facility. It was an easy decision, the planners said, because the eliminated areas are nice to have but are not detrimental to accessibility or the game day experience.
In the grandstand, switching from concrete treads to standard aluminum could yield $400,000 to $600,000 in cost savings but would have to comply with historic restrictions. Replacing some of the original design's fixed seats with bench seating could also save a significant amount of money.
"It could create a value seating, cheaper seating for maybe families of larger sizes," Persip pointed out. "That would help maybe sell tickets so there is a benefit there."
Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath reported that the plan has been sent to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for review and he has requested a meeting with commissioners and the project team.
"We've done everything on our side to get the attention of the Mass Historic," he said. "I certainly hope they respond."
The two rows of field level seating could also be removed and the plan could stick to one full kitchen while expanding grilling areas and leaving space for food trucks.
The only programmatic reductions that could be made are a weight room and the balancing of bathroom and locker room facilities. There was a discussion about female locker rooms and shower areas in both baseball suites.
Canciello pointed out that there have been larger controversies about gender identity with mixed-gender locker rooms and one way that it is being handled is by having separate spaces.
"From the [Pittsfield] Suns' perspective, I know it was seen as something that was positive because a lot of them are not trans athletes, they're like softball players who want to play baseball who want to be on a men's team and are good enough to do that," he said.
"So it's maybe a little bit different issue than what you're seeing in swimming and that's in the news."
The committee leaned toward keeping the female facilities in the suites as they are not too pricey and would eliminate the feeling of segregation. This would also accommodate female coaches.
On the agenda for the Parks Commission was a communication from Mayor Linda Tyer to the committee that supports their recommendation.
"After reviewing the comprehensive feasibility study, I strongly support the Elevated Option proposed," she wrote.
"It is my hope that this option will be seriously considered as this project moves forward into the next phase. This option would help alleviate the concerns about flooding while also providing an exceptional spectator experience for baseball games, concerts, and other community events."
She thanked the restoration committee for its commitment to this work over the past 18 months and said that it has recommended the best options for preserving and improving one of the city's most historic facilities.
Persip reported that he plans to have an in-depth conversation with incoming Mayor Peter Marchetti about the project at the start of the new year.
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