New Diamonds Spokane Metro Softball Association Steps Up To Plate To Build Playing Field Complex

There will be a lot of green going into the construction of Spokane’s North Side Softball Complex.

Grass and dollars, to be specific.

The city of Spokane has agreed to lease a 33-acre site near the Northpointe Shopping Center to the Spokane Metro Softball Association for the next 25 years.

Work on the project started this month, and organizers have targeted next summer as the start-up time.

The park will be in what is now an empty plot bordered on the east by Dakota Street, on the west by Colton Street, on the south by Maxine Avenue and on the north by Holland Road.

The SMSA now must go to work to raise money for the project, estimated to cost $2.3 million.

Some of the park’s planned features:

Six 300-foot Amateur Softball Association-regulation fenced fields.

State-of-the-art lighting.

Full concessions.

Paved parking for more than 400 vehicles.

Air-conditioned press boxes.

Nine automated batting cages.

A four-acre neighborhood park and playground.

The blueprints are drawn and the agreements are signed.

The rest is up to the SMSA.

“We intend to use volunteer labor and material as much as possible,” project coordinator Pat Dalsanders said.

“We feel the city and merchants of Spokane will benefit greatly from league and tournament teams drawn to this site. We are in a unique geographic position to draw teams from across the nation if we have the facilities,” he added.

Right now, Spokane does not.

The consensus from softball aficionados is that Franklin Park, which will still be used by the softball association, just isn’t big enough to accommodate the rising number of teams that want to play.

The softball association turned away 50 teams that wanted to play this year. With team fees ranging from $175 to $275, depending on what league a team plays in, the softball association missed out on some valuable revenue.

Next year, many of those turned away will provide the necessary revenue for the park to work.

With an enrollment of 261 teams, the softball association collected $192,000 for the maintenance of its facilities.

Next year, team sponsorship fees will increase $25.

In 1996, participation in a slowpitch league for 20 games will cost a team $300, $265 for 15 games or $200 for 10.

Yearly dues income is expected to increase by 56 percent for the next five years and will be at a maximum when the goal of 543 teams signing up has been reached.

“By recruiting 40-50 teams a year for the next five years, we will create a budget of $48,000 yearly for us to work with in terms of maintenance of the facility and the recruitment of more teams,” Dalsanders said.

The softball association is seeking to acquire $500,000 through donations and $1 million in grants. To date, it has a total budget of $110,000.

A projected total budget of $425,000 through dues and donations is anticipated over the next five years to use as building dollars.

The softball fields at the North Side complex will be more isolated from residential areas than those in Franklin Park are now.

South of the complex is one row of homes on Maxine Avenue, and the Cedar Point Marine apartment complex is on Colton Street.

However, those two locations will see more of the four-acre neighborhood park than the softball fields. The nearest softball diamond to any residence will be roughly 100 yards away, compared to 75 yards in the Franklin Park neighborhood.

As for vehicle traffic, the main point of entry to the complex will be at the intersection of Dakota Street and Holland Road. The city has agreed to develop Dakota.

Full concessions will be available at the park, and liquor permits for special tournaments and occasions may be issued.

Terry Paul lives across the street from Franklin Park. She appreciates the park’s presence in the neighborhood and thinks residents near the new park will feel the same way about it.

“It’s great having a park across the street,” Paul said. “I’ve never once had a problem with any of the softball crowds.

“It’s been useful for the 10 years that I’ve been here. The grandchildren can run around over there, and you don’t have to worry about them going too far.”

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