Submitted by Jody Rogers

Cicero Parks and Recreation Director

If you have driven by Skyway Park located on Taft Road recently, you may have wondered what is going on with all the construction. Well, the town of Cicero, in conjunction with the North Syracuse Little League, is doing a major field improvement, with the impetus that put this project back on track being a $125,000 grant from Assemblyman Al Stirpe.

With the help of these funds, the Town of Cicero Parks and Recreation Department and Cicero highway personnel have partnered with a very committed contingent of North Syracuse Little League volunteers to see this project completed. The project involves the transformation of an existing baseball field into a girls’ softball field and the creation of a new 60-foot little league baseball field.

Patrick Benz, of RFP Construction Advisors Corp., is the project manager who has developed the overall plan with the help from professional services donated by Rudy Zona of RZ Engineering and Dave Sliski of C.T. Male. This park development plan has been in the works for more than 10 years. The initial construction began in 2011, involving the renovation of the league’s concession stand and the addition of public restrooms and a picnic pavilion.

The other project going on simultaneously is the addition of Phase I of a neighborhood community playground. The current playground only caters to a small, young population. The new playground can handle more than 60 children and is designed for children ages 5 to 12. The majority of the funds are from Onondaga County Community Development with the balance from the town of Cicero. There will be a Phase II, also funded by Onondaga Community Development, that will be installed in the spring of 2018. Phase II will include swings and various individual units to compliment Phase I. This development has opened up opportunities for not only the league but also our residents.