WADSWORTH, Ohio — A major community investment is underway in Wadsworth.
The city is looking to transform an old, abandoned brick yard into a massive community park and athletic complex.
City officials say it boils down to a growing population and not having enough ball fields or tennis courts.
There is a clear need as families across the area are traveling to multiple different spots for activities.
This project would create one centralized space in an under-utilized area.
"We recognize we need to take our park system one step further," Robin Laubaugh, Mayor of Wadsworth said.
Laubaugh believes re-purposing the sprawling, abandoned site known to many as the brick yard is the answer.
The former Wadsworth Brick and Tile Company ceased operations back in the 1980s.
The 205 acres of land have sat eerily vacant, down a long winding path for years.
Laubaugh's vision is to transform it into a multi-use community athletic complex.
"It would be done in phases and so obviously back here it's shown that there's potential for 12 ball fields," Laubaugh said.
News 5 hopped in a city pick-up truck and toured the rough terrain to get a better perspective of the master plan.
Laubaugh says a lot of work will be done in the months ahead, but the options are endless.
The early plans show multiple baseball fields, pickleball courts, tennis courts and both walking and biking trails for people of all ages to take advantage of.
Multiple fishing ponds nearby would also be utilized.
It's something Yolanda Flower applauds.
"It sounds like a great idea."
Laubaugh says two huge silos left behind on the property could also be incorporated into the project, and the old scattered bricks may be ground down into a roadway, as well.
The need for a park is great and over the last couple of years, it became even more apparent with so many people embracing nature.
"We really did see particularly with the pandemic the importance of parks and being outdoors was playing in our community. People love the parks," Laubaugh said.
The overall goal is to make the brick yard a centralized community recreation spot for families to take advantage of for years to come.
Less travel to neighboring fields means this could become the epicenter of activity in the tight-knit town of Wadsworth, reaching across multiple generations.
"Parents, families, they're going all over the place trying to get their kids to different ball fields. One has one over here. One's over here. To have a centralized place it'll be phenomenal," Laubaugh said.
"Our granddaughters play a lot of ball, and it's really nice when there's a central area where a community can come together for something like that," Flower said.
The preliminary plan is to start construction on the project in 2025 at the earliest.
Community input is critical, and city leaders say they want feedback at upcoming meetings to further help plan this project.
As far as funding goes, Laubaugh says there will be no tax increase.
The city is looking at additional funding through grants, its current budget, and other means.
