Pueblo eyes new softball complex on east side

After the plans to build a minor league baseball stadium along the Riverwalk in Pueblo ended last July. The city may have found a new way to attract ball tournaments.

However, this time it will be softball tournaments, not baseball.

The city has identified and purchased a piece of property on Pueblo’s east side where a new softball complex could go. The property is located near the intersection of Highway 50 and Troy Avenue, and has sat empty for around 50 years.

Pueblo City Councilman Larry Atencio says the proposed project would include five to six softball fields, solar farms, and commercial development.

“The need has been here all along,” said Atencio who says he’s been working on this softball project since 2010. “A couple of our state championship high school girls teams have had to play their games in other parts of the state because we don’t have the facilities here in Pueblo.”

Today, when you walk onto the proposed property there is a lot of trash and unkempt land. However, Atencio says he sees opportunity.

The hope is that the softball stadiums would be able to comfortably accommodate six to eight hundred people. Which would be a huge boost economically for Pueblo, especially after the minor league baseball stadium fell through.

“We can bring six to ten million dollars a year in economic activity to the city because of the softball tournaments,” said Atencio. But are there safety concerns in bringing so many to Pueblo’s east side? Atencio doesn’t see it, and crime coverage in the area is overblown. He believes the east side is prime for growth. “The east side of Pueblo doesn’t have any more crime than any other part in Pueblo,” said Atencio. “I don’t have a problem bringing families all over the state to this location to play softball.” Best case scenario, Atencio hopes to break ground by spring of 2019, and start playing ball by the end of the year. The total cost could be around $8 million, around $4 million for the softball fields alone.

Atencio says city council, who all stand together on this plan, do not wish to ask the tax payers for any further help on this project. They are currently searching for potential developers and grants in order to fund the project.