Interim manager provides details of proposed project in DuBois City Park

DuBOIS — In January, the City of DuBois obtained a $3.5 million loan through S&T Bank to be able to finance a new softball field, along with several other construction projects, in the city park.

Recently, however, some residents have questioned if it is feasible for the city to construct these projects in light of current circumstances regarding the alleged financial mismanagement of the city and the forensic audit currently underway.

City interim Manager Chris Nasuti provided more details about what the proposed construction activities include:

If constructed, Nasuti said the goal is to complete the project before May 1, 2024.

Nasuti said the city has received grant offers from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project program totaling approximately $1,200,000 for DuBois Memorial Park improvements. This is a 50/50 match program; therefore, to leverage the entire grant amount, the city would need a minimum total project cost of $2,400,000. The grant program also requires the municipality to finance the project and then get reimbursed for the costs upon completion of the project. In order to be able to finance the project, the city obtained a $3,500,000 loan with an 11-year term.

Due to the loan being in place, the project will not have an impact on the 2023 operating budget, said Nasuti.

At the June 26 council meeting, Mayor Ed Walsh discussed the financial impact the other fields in the city park, along with Showers Field, have on the city.

“We didn’t get a complete financial analysis yet, but we’re working on it,” said Walsh. “But the tournaments that we do bring into the community, yes, that is a lot of money.”

Walsh said the Small College World Series brings in about $525,000.

“That’s a lot of boost to this local community,” said Walsh. “I just want to give you an example of just one tournament and that’s the sixth time that they’ve been here.”

Walsh said that totals $2.4 million being brought to the area in the past six years.

“The state tournaments that we have here, the junior and senior league, don’t bring quite that amount of money in, but they do bring in an excessive amount of hotel rooms, room nights, restaurant nights, just talking with the manager of one of our local stores,” said Walsh. “They average during, let me go back to the Small College World Series, their sales increase every year … $100,000 in that one week.

“These tournaments are bringing a vast amount of money,” said Walsh. “I look for the Eastern Regionals to bring in close to, if not more than what the Small College World Series is. We’re going to have 12 states here plus a local team competing for the Eastern Regional. They’ll be here for up to seven days. Again, room nights, restaurants, retail shopping. I call it trickle down economics. They may not spend any money in your business or my business, but somebody where they went, got a tip or made this or had a job because of these things.”