Major work set to begin on West Field renovation
A multimillion-dollar renovation of Munhall's William W. Knight Memorial Park, commonly known as West Field, is on schedule.
Campbell Educational and Community Foundation is paying for the entire project. The borough owns the baseball field.
Foundation president Joe Ducar said Elite Electrical crews have rerouted wires and service lines around fencing in preparation for the major construction, set to begin this month.
Ducar said those involved in the project will meet at the job site on Tuesday.
He said core drilling is finished, and he projected that the project will be completed in six to seven months, depending on weather.
“Everybody's just all for it,” Ducar said of the public's reaction to the project. “There's a lot of big pluses going on. Everybody's really excited.”
Steel Valley School District, which uses the field for sporting events, has an agreement with Whitaker officials to use and maintain Whitaker Ball Field through October while work is being done at the Munhall site. The high school's baseball team will get top priority for use of the renovated field for the next 50 years.
Steel Valley alumnus William V. Campbell Jr. formed the foundation in 2013 to foster growth and improve the quality of life for Steel Valley residents.
Campbell is chairman and former chief executive officer of Intuit Inc. and an adviser to a number of technology companies.
Campbell visited the Steel Valley area and West Field last week.
“I saw a big empty space that is not utilized,” Campbell said Wednesday at Duke's Upper Deck Cafe in Homestead. “They've got a phenomenal place that needs to be developed so it can be used by kids.”
Ducar said weather prevented Campbell from taking a thorough tour of West Field.
The park is named after Knight, the former Munhall mayor who served the borough for more than 30 years before his death in 1987.
West Field was the home of the Homestead Grays of the Negro League in the late 1930s and early '40s.
Project plans were revealed at a Munhall council workshop meeting in February.
Borough officials, planning commission members and Steel Valley School District officials observed the presentation.
Gateway Engineers executive vice president Dan Deiseroth and JT Sauer & Associates LLC president James Sauer used artist renderings of the improved park as they discussed the proposal.
Renovations include establishing a baseball field consistent with high school and collegiate standards, a Little League ball field, and a soccer/football field. Outlining the park will be a walking trail, landscaping and fencing.
Deiseroth said the sanitary sewer system and water lines will be replaced. A new lighting system and stormwater management plan will be in place.
“Infrastructure-wise, we're going to improve all the utilities,” Deiseroth said.
As for parking, 186 spaces were outlined around the park and 73 more off Orchard Street.
Other plans call for restrooms and a concession stand, a storage area, refurbished locker rooms and seating for up to 800 people.
Sauer said 116,000 square feet of slit-film turf will be installed. The synthetic turf is a year-round play system that is not affected by the weather. The turf comes with an eight- to 10-year warranty.
A maintenance program will be developed with the borough when the renovations are complete, Sauer said.
Other companies involved in the project are Massaro Corp., LLI Engineering, R&B Contracting & Excavation and Allstate Contracting.
Ducar said the only project adjustments from the original plans are the addition of a retaining wall on the site, and moving some bathrooms near the concession stands.
“We're just trying to do the best we can,” Ducar said.
Michael DiVittorio is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1965 or mdivittorio@tribweb.com.
