A pair of local sports enthusiasts are hoping to bring a new indoor facility to Penticton and give people in the city a taste of everything baseball has to offer.
Council will be presented with a proposal on Tuesday, Aug. 16 for a 7,000-square feet multi-use building, intended to serve as a indoor baseball facility at 1603 Dartmouth Road.
Officially known as Grand Slam Baseball Okanagan, Penticton-based owners Edgar and Tracy Yost say their proposed facility will give people in the city a chance to enjoy the sport during the winter months, while offering products like hitting seminars, year-round academies, coaching clinics and softball camps.
“This development will be the first-ever indoor baseball facility of its kind in the South Okanagan and will be available to a multitude of field sport organizations as well,” developer Rob Ferguson wrote to the city.
City staff, meanwhile, say that the South Okanagan Minor Baseball Association, Canadian Sport School Kelowna and the Penticton Minor Fastball Softball Association are among the groups to endorse the project.
The facility will feature specialized training areas and up-to-date computer systems that support baseball-specific programs.
“Whether you are on vacation and need a break from the heat or are a team at one of the many ball diamonds here in town, we have got something for you,” the owners wrote.
Council will be prompted to make a decision on the future of the proposed facility at its next meeting this Tuesday.
The subject property was officially rezoned from “wrecking yard” to “general industrial” early this year.
Aside from the baseball services they hope to offer, owners plan on hosting birthday parties, yoga, lacrosse and mental training for athletes at the facility.
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