The Pittsfield Suns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League have played at Wahconah Park since 2012. Built in 1919, the venue was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Due to safety concerns, the city closed its crumbling grandstand in 2022.
This year, the team is taking a pause as Pittsfield sorts out the park’s future.
“So, the Suns approached the city in regards to a ‘24 playing season. they are concerned with the condition of the stadium and some other circumstances, and we're looking to be able to pause baseball in Pittsfield for 2024. I’m still making a commitment to the city, and so they're proposing a, some form of celebrating Wahconah Park’s history as we go from one phase of Wahconah Park to another," said Mayor Peter Marchetti. “I think that we just continue doing what we're doing. I have been letting the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee do their process and have now been a little bit more vocal with some of the members of the commission, including their chair, to get us to a place where we can find a common ground to move forward.”
The committee has proposed a roughly $30 million plan to renovate the aging grounds.
“I think the most important commandment that we need out of the gate is that there'll be something there on Fourth of July, and there'll be fireworks on Fourth of July evening," Marchetti continued. "And then, what can we do to show that Wahconah Park can be more than just the home to the Pittsfield Suns, but a community resource that maybe is centered around the Suns playing in the in the late spring or early summer timeframe.”
Marchetti says it isn’t clear what economic impact a canceled baseball season will have on Pittsfield.
“Hopefully, we still have some events at Wahconah Park," he told WAMC. "Looking at the last two seasons as someone who's probably a faithful supporter of the Pittsfield Suns, their attendance was pretty low the last couple of years, and so I think if you try to be objective, you can understand both sides. I just think that at the current moment, it's at a pretty critical place to be having to have this conversation.”
He's bullish that the Suns will rise again.
“When they came to the table, they were concerned about securing a 2024 lease to be able to still do something in the park, even though it's not what we all hoped for," said the mayor. "And, you know, they're talking ‘25 and beyond. And so, at this stage of the game, we take it at face value that they're willing to be long term partners, and I think that if that doesn't end up being the case, we will obviously look for a plan B.”
In other warm weather news for Berkshire County’s largest community, Marchetti says he intends to combine two downtown event series this year into one program.
“We met to talk about Third Thursdays, and it was my desire to move Third Thursday back into the North Street environment," he explained to WAMC. "And as we continued to look at it, I think we have two events that are happening in the downtown that are not as well as attended as they used to be. So, we decided to combine them. I think the first First Friday at five will be May 3rd, I think is the date. And we're going to close North Street from Park Square to Fenn and Depot. We’ll have the city stage at Park Square with some music, a live band. We’ll have some of the old things that Thursday would have. The First Friday Artswalk will still be happening up and down the length the North Street. We will have performances in the Sotille and Persip Park, and then encouraging people to continue down North Street to enjoy a dinner or drink at either Dorothy's or Hotel on North if their restaurant’s open this summer.”
