$2.68 million project to improve Kessel Athletic Complex
A $2.68 million capital construction project at the Kessel Athletic Complex on the campus of Pitt-Bradford is going to result in better facilities for softball, baseball, tennis and soccer players at Pitt-Bradford and throughout the region, not to mention their fans.
The City of Bradford, in conjunction with Pitt-Bradford, secured $2.5 million for the project last summer through the state of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. Pitt-Bradford covered the $180,000 cost for design.
State Sen. Joseph Scarnati, R-Brockway, and state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, combined their efforts to work for the grant.
“Senator Scarnati and Representative Causer came through for us and for this region, as they have done so often in the past,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford.
“This major renovation and upgrade in the Kessel Complex will make a tremendous difference for athletic programs on our campus and provide first-class athletic facilities for residents in the surrounding communities. We’re deeply grateful to Senator Scarnati and Representative Causer.”
Of course, the project could not have materialized without the assistance and support of local city officials.
Rick Esch, vice president of business affairs at Pitt-Bradford, said, “Sara Andrews, Deb Huston and Jeff Andrews at the Office of Economic and Community Development deserve a lot of accolades, as do City Council and the mayor.”
Over the winter, Pitt-Bradford worked with members of the community as well as representatives of its own athletic programs to complete the designs for a new softball field, with new concession stand, press box, restrooms, scoreboard and lights.
The old lights from the softball field will be installed at Callahan Park.
“It was a really needed improvement for the quality of the softball field,” said Peter Buchheit, director of facilities management, explaining that the field was raised to keep water off it.
The baseball field will also receive a new concession stand, press box and restrooms, as well as a disabled-accessible path to the field, safe parking (currently most people have to park along West Washington Street or Wagner Avenue) and bleachers.
Another major improvement will be the addition of locker rooms for visiting teams.
The complex is home not only to the Panthers’ softball, baseball, tennis and soccer teams, but also the Bradford Area High School baseball and tennis teams and community softball groups.
Visitors to all of the fields will benefit from the paving of Wagner Avenue, which connects Campus Drive to West Washington Street.
While the new-and-improved baseball field will be ready for use next spring, the brand new softball field may still be waiting for sufficient turf to grow in.
Buchheit explained that the field’s usability for next spring will depend on the fall grass-growing season. While putting sod in might make the process go faster, he said, it eventually yields an inferior field where the grass has shallow roots and is more easily torn out.
Other projects at Pitt-Bradford over the summer included the completion of laboratory renovations in Fisher Hall, where new benches, cabinets, ventilation and floors were installed.
Troublesome sidewalks throughout the Bromeley Quadrangle were replaced and drainage added to prevent puddles and ice formation.
The academic wing of Blaisdell Hall got a new roof to correct ice damage caused by the hard winter, and the campus loop road, which also sustained heavy damage last winter, will also be milled and paved over the course of the next year.
Most of the contracts were awarded to local businesses, including Cummins Construction Co., Pure Tech Inc. and Carl E. Swanson and Sons Inc.