Athletic Field Groundbreaking
Pictured Left to Right: City Administrator-Caroline Gregerson, Lisa Springer, Michael Anderson, Wendy Busch, Troy Passe, Cory Loechler, Robin Gwaltney, Tyler Grabau, Jeff Sulla, David Wodele, Eugene Jensen, Tony Johnson, Riley Costello, Ann Lineweaver, Mayor-Emily Durand, MJ Bussian, Abby Oxendine and Travis Danckwart. Danckwart Landscaping & Excavating equipment in background.
Drone Footage of the Athletic Field, photo courtesy of Jim Mathias
The City of Wabasha, its Parks Board, and a community-led steering committee is rebuilding it’s the city’s baseball and softball fields, hockey and skating rink and basketball court the field behind City Hall. Pember Companies (Menomonie, WI) and Kellogg-based Danckwart Landscaping and Excavating are building the fields. This week saw the pouring of post-tension concrete slabs for the tennis and pickleball courts, which is more durable method to build courts to withstand weather conditions over time. While post-tension concrete has higher upfront costs, it will require less maintenance over the long-term.
The project has been a long-desired community goal and was identified in the 2016 Wabasha Comprehensive Plan. The new athletic complex location will address flooding of the current field location and improve safety by moving pedestrians and spectators away from the traffic coming off the Interstate Highway 60 bridge. The total anticipated cost of the 7.5 acre project is $2.1 million. The City of Wabasha was awarded $300,000 in a competitive grant from the Minnesota DNR, $50,000 donation towards the project. The balance of the project will be paid for with borrowing by the City of Wabasha and fundraising. There is a capital campaign underway to support the project, led by Ann Lineweaver and Troy Passe.
“This project has been a vision of many in the community for a long time, and I am excited to be executing the project,” said Mayor Emily Durand, at the groundbreaking ceremony held on July 6.
At the ceremony, Campaign Chair Ann Lineweaver and Chair Troy Passe expressed how important this project was for the future of Wabasha’s youth and residents. Interested in supporting the capital campaign for the project? Please contact Chair Ann Bouquet Lineweaver or Chair Troy Passe. You can also email cityhall@wabasha.org or call the City’s main line.
Naming rights are also available for different project components with contributions of 50% of more of total project element cost.
