Paola kids could be playing ballgames on new turf fields in Wallace Park as early as this Spring if proposed plans continue to move forward. Paola City Council Members and other city officials reviewed the latest plans with Justin Smail of Paola Youth Sports and Brian Morris of Mammoth Sports Construction.
The plans reviewed at the meeting showed two new turf ballfields being built out of the Flood Plain, north of Wallace Park Drive and east of the Paola American Legion, replacing the existing Major Field. The other improvements shown on the proposed design, include two new grass fields south of Wallace Parke Drive, replacing Russell and Minor Fields. The fields would not have as large of a footprint as the existing Russell Field and Smail said that would get them away from areas that typically flood. New ballfields, as well as improvements to the Paola Family Pool, are set to be funded by the City’s half cent sales tax, which voters renewed in 2019 and is expected to generate between $12 and $14 million during the next 15 years.
