Village donates $200K for new PWYA project, park updates
By Brandi Makuski
The village of Plover has approved a hefty donation to a planned improvement at Woyak Park.
Village Trustees in Plover approved conceptual plans from Plover-Whiting Youth Athletics last spring for a new building at Woyak Park, the village’s staple location for youth sports.
At its January meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a $200,000 donation to the cause.
The $1.3 million development includes a two-story pavilion with internal storage and ADA/wheelchair access to both levels. The intent behind the proposal is to allow for more viewing areas, storage, a PWYA Hall of Fame, and a shelter.
New batting cages will also be constructed, a new gate allowing for large vehicle access (such as emergency vehicles), and new covered dugouts are planned at Easlan-Weslan Field. The facility will also offer the village’s public works and parks departments some additional storage space.
“When it’s all said and done, this will be a million-dollar-plus amenity that the village will have $200,000 invested in, but it’ll also continue creating opportunities for children and it’ll continue to grow,” said Village President Gary Wolf.
The money will come from the village’s general fund, he added.
“Our department heads worked extremely hard last year, staying within their budget, and there were some leftover funds for us to do this,” Wolf said. “We feel it’s important to be involved in the [sports] community, plus, it saves us the money of having to invest in a separate building for public works storage.”
Adam DeKleyn, community development manager, said a municipal donation may be an unusual move, but village leaders see it as an investment into a community asset.
“There’s a huge economic impact when some of those softball tournaments come to the village,” he said. “It’s important for us to support recreation activities, and support our youth. But ultimately, it’s a government asset, a village asset. We own the infrastructure out there, the public owns it. So it’s an investment.”
All of the costs associated with the construction and design are being raised by Plover-Whiting Youth Athletics. More information can be found here.
