"If you build it, they
will come" a voice may
have said in Bernard
Doyle's mind in the late
1920's. However the
inspiration came, he
took it to heart, and in
1931 presented his
'Field of Dreams - Doyle
Field" to the City of
Leominster for the
enjoyment of all its
residents. Since then it
has become a part of the
historic and cultural
fabric of the community;
an icon where countless
sons and daughters have
won fame and honor in
athletic victories as
well as building
character to face the
tough lessons of life.
Over its 74 years, use
of Doyle Field has grown
dramatically to the
point where the current
facilities cannot meet
the demands of the
community. Additionally,
needed improvements have
not kept pace with the
times and some of the
structural resources
require major upgrades
or replacement. |
Phase I of the Doyle Field
Renovation Project will address
the following needs:
●
Replace existing bleachers that
are antiquated
and have a limited number of "good" seats.
●
Replace existing grass field
that significantly
limits the number of athletic or other events the
Doyle Field Commission can allow.
●
Restrooms in the field house are
an unnecessary
distance away from events, especially for fans on
the 'home side', and the limited number of toilets
creates unwanted delays.
●
Out-of-date locker rooms in the
field house are
too far from the field.
●
Concession Stand Facilities need
to be upgraded
to meet new codes.
●
Cultural Activities lack a
central area that will
expand the appeal of Doyle Field to a whole new
segment of the City's population.
●
Lack of a unifying architectural
style in the
existing buildings does not reflect the traditional
look of Doyle Field.
Take
a look at the current field
conditions.
|
MASTER PLAN VISION:
The Master Plan's vision is to
increase the variety of athletic
and recreational opportunities
at Doyle Field, improve the
amenity value for players, fans,
visitors and add a social and
cultural aspect to Doyle Field
that previously did not exist.
Additionally, the plan places a
higher level of importance on
the casual and not-so-casual
walker and those who come to
Doyle Field for socializing by
re-locating the playing fields
to maximize paths for walkers
and areas for resting and
observing.
PHASE I GOALS
1. Improve the bowl landform
2. Replace bleachers
3. Install a new turf field
4. Define the entries of the
field
5. Create an Entertainment Plaza
and Pavilion that
provides opportunities for cultural events to
occur at Doyle Field
6. Create new locker rooms
7. Provide concession stands /
restrooms
8. Replace the Media Box and the
Doyle Box
9. Install new ticket booths
2005 - 2008 - $4 MILLION
Phase II Goals are
scheduled to take place in 2009
and finished in
2012. The track will be
relocated off-site to a location
better
suited for Leominster High
athletics. Priest Street will be
realigned
to improve safety, and on-site
parking will be improved. The
field
house will be renovated to
exhibit sports memorabilia. The
total
cost of this phase is $4-5
million
Phase III Goals are
scheduled to take place in 2013
and finished in
2020. A system of tree-lined
corridors for walking and
running
paths will be installed to link
and unify all the activities of
the park.
New fields and courts for
Soccer, Baseball, Basketball,
Tennis, and
a Play Structure will be
organized into this system.
Observers will
be provided with gathering,
seating, and resting areas. |
