Finally Good Ideas for Shaws Center/Campanelli

Farwell is proposing the Council of Aging move to the Shaws Center. COA is bursting at the seams. You'd be able to provide more programs and room for Bingo.

Also he, as well as others, are advocating for the stadium to be turned over to BPS. Clean it up and the schools would have place for Baseball/Softball games, tournaments and rent out to other programs. Great ideas.

www.enterprisenews.com/news/20161103/sha...r-brockton-pols-plan

"The city's growing senior population would have more space and additional revenue for programming under a new plan for the Brockton Council on Aging that would have the agency move into the Shaw's Center once the venue's current lease is up, according to the man behind the proposal. Brockton Councilor-at-large Winthrop Farwell said he plans to share his vision for the Shaw's Center and the neighboring Campanelli Stadium at Monday's City Council Finance Committee meeting. Farwell said the lease for the Shaw's Center expires in 2020 or 2021, and the Brockton Council on Aging is coming to the meeting to request an expansion of its current facilities located downtown on Father Kenney Way. Farwell said that his proposal for the Shaw's Center calls for the facility to be renamed after Mary Cruise Kennedy, the namesake of the current city senior center, after the grocery store company's naming rights expire by that time.

Farwell is also proposing to turn over Campanelli Stadium to the custody of Brockton Public Schools.The properties are currently occupied by Entertainment Management Complex and the Brockton Rox, which are owned by hedge fund manager Chris English, after he took over the Futures Collegiate Baseball League team in 2013.

Farwell and others believe that the Campanelli Stadium and Shaw's Center, which were constructed in the early 2000s and have been financed largely using hundreds of thousands of city tax funds, have not be successful from a business standpoint. Brockton 21st Century, which a taxpayer-funded nonprofit, is the controlling entity serving as the leasing agent and caretaker of the building since it oversaw construction during the administration of former mayor John Yunits. Brockton 21st Century Corporation had agreed to pay the city back on an $8 million loan that was used to fund construction, but earlier this year the nonprofit asked for the remaining $6.8 million to be forgiven, arguing that the stadium property will revert to municipal ownership anyway in 2021. The bond the city took out to finance the project is on track to be paid off by May next year, after many years of using the city's hotel/motel tax fund to make payments."

Both are very good ideas!

Wonderful idea! Best one yet!
I would just like to know who in the heck do you have to be in order to have such a humongous loan forgiven? Profit or nonprofit, a loan is a loan. You OWE it, pay it!! None of us ever get our loans forgiven.
This is like telling every and anyone in nonprofit to go get a tremendous loan, because you’re not going to lose anyhow.
This is BS!

As for the COA idea not a bad one

As for the idea of turning the stadium over to BPS also not bad idea but certainly not his. This idea has been talked about by many POL's and administration for over 3 years now.

My concern is cost of upkeep. BPS doesn't have the cash to keep it up

Good points Dave. Hope these questions will be asked and answered.

No offense, Ray. Doesn't matter whose idea, it's coming up for discussion in an open forum finally. I'm not sure if they have the maintenance capability but let's get it on the table. Since Carpenter is bound and determined to take the few remaining baseball parks away for soccer, it would be a solution for baseball and softball. And could be rented for tournaments etc. Lots of questions but good for Farwell to bring the subjects up finally for public discussion. I look forward to hearing comments.

Didn't even think of that. Dave and Ray are so right! Same reason I was against Massasoit for taking Christo's property. Prime property equals big tax money.
Hey, build another Father Bill's. What the heck. That's the span of our city government.

Can anyone name one baseball field the BPS has kept up?

I agree with Dave. We have to get something for these properties. Giving the Shaws center to the seniors for Bingo is extremely generous but what a waste.

Campanelli Stadium I believe will be a hard sell. If kept up by the city and rented by the City it could be profitable. If run by BPS? I'm sure it will be in deplorable condition just like all the other ball fields within a year or 2.

The COA is requesting funds to expand their current space which is way to small. So instead of expending money for that area perhaps a solution would be to just move it to the Shaws Center. Either way it's non-profit. If a buyer for that property could be found that would be great, but I sincerely doubt you'll find a buyer. I don't know if it's the right decision but putting it on the table and discussing is at least a start.

BPS doesn't maintain the fields. Falls under Parks Department, I believe.

There has always been a tug of war going on between the Parks department and BPS as to who owns the upkeep of ball fields. Both have done a terrible job at it. South (Nelsons), Eldon B Keith, North, East are BPS fields. They are all pretty much unplayable. I believe the city takes care of Edgars with the help of the Legion team.

Sportsfan wrote: There has always been a tug of war going on between the Parks department and BPS as to who owns the upkeep of ball fields. Both have done a terrible job at it. South (Nelsons), Eldon B Keith, North, East are BPS fields. They are all pretty much unplayable. I believe the city takes care of Edgars with the help of the Legion team.

Who does O'Donnells and Walkers?

I get Your overall point. Perhaps step 1 is to clarify ownership. I know Parks doesn't seem to have the manpower and BPS lost janitors. It's a disgrace no matter.

I don't know if it will ever come to fruition or even it's the solution. I do know Campanelli is rotting away and needs thousands of dollars of maintenance. The Shaws Center is a waste, so let's at least talk about it.

If you are trying to re-build your downtown area, moving the COA out of the center of the city, to the West side, is not a great idea. I'm thinking that the Brockton planner might have steam coming out his ears after hearing this proposal.

As far as the Campanelli stadium is concerned, the best solution might just be to tear the stadium down, if you can't find someone to buy it. Any funds received from Rentals, tournaments etc, will not even put a dent in the costs to properly maintain the facility.

Good points as well. I don't know what the answers are but status quo isn't the answer either. And perhaps putting it on the agenda And have all the Impacted parties in the same place might at least provide next steps.

There really are no next steps. If there were, something would have been brought up by now. We are overwhelmed with the need for improvements and because it is so overwhelming no one know s where to start. The fact we have no money is the set back. Our needs show and is the main reason no one wants to invest in us.
One business that has to be thriving are shops who do wheel alignments and shocks. Don't think the condition of our streets isn't taken into consideration by investors.

What a cluster f**k this City is.

www.enterprisenews.com/news/20161228/bro...se-and-desist-letter

" A battle is brewing between the Brockton Rox and its nonprofit landlord, which works for the city to oversee two prominent properties leased out by the baseball organization. A lawyer for the nonprofit Brockton 21st Century Corporation sent a cease and desist letter to a DJ recently contracted by the Rox company, Entertainment Management Complex, to run events held next year at the Shaw's Center function hall.

In internal documents that were obtained by The Enterprise, the Brockton 21st Century Corporation discussed moving forward with a "default of lease" process for the Shaw's Center and its neighboring Campanelli Stadium, where the Rox play each summer as part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The Rox and Entertainment Management Complex have been owned by Chris English, a hedge fund manager, since the Brockton 21st Century Corporation announced the purchase of the team in October 2013. The baseball and entertainment company signed a seven-year lease in 2013 that was approved by Bill Carpenter, who was then acting as mayor-elect before starting his first two-year term."

Brockton Councilor-everywhere Winthrop Farwell said he intends to share his vision for the Shaw's Center and the neighboring Campanelli Stadium at Monday's City Council Finance Committee meeting. Farwell said the rent for the Shaw's Center terminates in 2020 or 2021, and the Brockton Council on Aging is going to the gathering to demand an extension of its present offices found midtown on Father Kenney Way. Farwell said that his proposition for the Shaw's Center requires the office to be renamed after Mary Cruise Kennedy, the namesake of the current city senior focus, after the supermarket organization's naming rights lapse at that point.

I thought this site was no longer working. I miss it!