A construction project at the Oil City junior baseball complex on the North Side has been halted of late, but it has not fallen by the wayside.
League president Mike Boocks said Tuesday work on the structure, which will include a concession stand, restrooms compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and a storage unit, began in late July.
However, the work hasn’t progressed on a consistent schedule because the contractors who have stepped up are doing it on a volunteer basis when they have time.
Boocks said contractors are surprisingly busy this time of year. That has been the biggest hurdle in making significant progress on the project.
Boocks said the league’s board had full intention of paying someone to complete the construction, but internal transition hindered the process. The league had to look elsewhere for help because Boocks said it isn’t large enough to support a project of this size on its own.
The league received a $50,000 grant from PNC, but time is limited. Work must be completed by the end of May, otherwise the funding will be lost.
Boocks said the total cost of the construction is estimated at $100,000.
Other issues have popped up along the way, including trouble with water and sewer lines.
“When we thought we were ahead, we would go back five steps,” Boocks said.
Boocks said the goal is to have at least 90 percent of the project finished by sometime in May.
“We would love to see it up and done,” he said.
Boocks also said material sitting outside near the worksite, such as pressure-treated lumber, will not be harmed by weather.
All materials that shouldn’t be exposed to cold weather are stored, Boocks said.
