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Freed Park reopens with lights; city navigates high demand, scheduling and parking impacts
Summary
Service Director Matt Hiscock said Freed Park reopened after lighting installation and is in high demand from youth leagues, travel teams and lacrosse programs; staff warned of scheduling conflicts, usage fees, and temporary parking impacts tied to pending parking lot and basketball court projects.
Service Director Matt Hiscock told Council that Freed Park is now available for full use after a brief interruption while field lighting was installed. He said demand has been strong, with Wadsworth Youth Baseball, Wadsworth Youth Softball, travel teams and boys lacrosse reserving time; youth and adult leagues have requested practice and game slots.
Hiscock explained that the city’s scheduler coordinates league reservations and that leagues pay usage fees for city facilities. He said an Akron‑based organization will administer the returning adult softball league even though the league is Wadsworth‑based, and confirmed the city has no contractual obligation to that outside operator. He cautioned that construction on a parking lot and basketball court—where a $30,000 contingency pushed costs above base estimates—could temporarily reduce parking availability for Freed Park users, calling the upcoming overlap "a hiccup in the schedule, politely calling it a hiccup."
