New Baseball Fields Will Replace Those on Site of Outdoor Pool

The city will dedicate its with a ceremony at 5 p.m. July 15.

The new fields are next to the football field at , 21255 Lunn Rd., across from Volunteer Park.

They were paid for, in part, with a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which awarded Strongsville $250,000 toward construction of an outdoor pool.

ODNR let the city transfer the funds to instead build three baseball fields, which will replace the three Recreation Park 1 fields -- located near the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center -- when they are eventually closed to make way for the outdoor pool.

"We wanted to have these (new) fields ready when something does happen with the pool," said Ben Stankewicz, assistant to Mayor Perciak.

Perciak announced in March he would form a committee of volunteers to seek private and public grants to build an outdoor pool. Stankewicz said other priorities have put the committee on the back burner temporarily, but said it will be formed in the near future.

City officials said replacing the three fields is crucial because more than 2,000 boys and girls play baseball and softball here.

The city purchased the 25-acre Youth Sports Park site in 2008 and the following year leased part of it to the football league for a field. Last year, city officials announced plans to add baseball diamonds to the park.