Stone Park unveils preliminary plan for new Sports & Entertainment Complex; Casa Italia to be preserved

DesignBridge presented a preliminary layout for Stone Park’s proposed Sports & Entertainment Complex on Dec. 10, showing existing site features and proposed new amenities. Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz, president and principal of DesignBridge, walked trustees through the concept design and site approach.

Mayor Beniamino Mazzulla emphasized that the Casa Italia Cultural Center and the Casa Italia Community Center will remain untouched as part of the project and said the plan calls for a staged implementation expected to take about three to four years. He accepted feedback and inquiries from trustees and said further planning steps will follow.

The presentation, introduced during the building-and-grounds section of the meeting, illustrated how the new complex would fit with existing site elements; the minutes do not include specific cost estimates, funding sources, a construction schedule beyond the multiyear timeframe, or formal approvals by the Board of Trustees. No vote or ordinance related to site development or financing was recorded at this meeting.

Next steps recorded in the minutes were limited to board discussion and the mayor’s invitation for feedback; the record does not specify required permits, design-review milestones, or funding commitments. Trustees and staff will need to identify funding sources and any required zoning or permit approvals in subsequent meetings before the project can proceed to construction.

Proper names mentioned in the presentation included DesignBridge and the Casa Italia Cultural Center and Casa Italia Community Center. The minutes list the presentation as informational; the Board did not adopt a motion or resolution related to the concept on Dec. 10.