City to hold consultations on Jeanne-Mance softball field — after demolition

Fresh grass is being laid at Jeanne-Mance park in the place where one of its two softball fields used to stand.

The north field was demolished at the end of May, despite the efforts of a group of softball players who have been using the field for pick-up games for years.

But now that the city has announced it will hold public consultations, players are hopeful their field may be rebuilt.

“My first reaction is that there is something wrong with the process after the thing was destroyed,” Marisa Berry-Mendez said.

“But I’m also hopeful perhaps that the administration is realizing that they were too hasty, that they made a mistake and this is an opportunity to listen to the community and correct the mistake that was made.”

READ MORE: Jeanne-Mance Park softball field closed for safety reasons

The demolition comes after a study commissioned by the city suggested the risk that a passer-by could be hit with an errant ball was high.

Municipal opposition leader Lionel Perez says Projet Montreal’s move to demolish the field without consulting, then “flip-flopping” and calling for public consultations, shows the city’s lack of political will.

“If Projet Montreal has the political will to find a solution, they could in fact mandate another study to find ways to make it more secure,” Perez said. “That wasn’t done.”

Perez added the study’s findings didn’t recommend the field to be destroyed. Adequate fencing, he pointed out, could have fixed the problem and demolition wasn’t necessary.

Consultations are expected to happen soon.