Mayor Treba seeks disability-committee input on Little League renovation, highlights noncompliant restrooms

Mayor Treba told the Charlestown City Disability Advisory Committee on July 13 that the city plans a limited renovation of the Little League facility aimed at improving accessibility and basic amenities. He said the project will not realign fields but will redo the existing fields, add another large field, tear down the existing concession stand and replace the bathrooms, which he described as "not ADA compliant" and "a nightmare."

The mayor said the redevelopment commission has issued a request for qualifications as part of a build-operate-transfer procurement; responses will be rated with a scoring metric by a committee that will include Treba, Chuck Deaton of the redevelopment commission and Council President Bridal Hester. Treba said the city has had consistently high youth participation, reporting "anywhere from 450 to 500 kids to sign up every year," and emphasized the need to consider accessibility features not only for children but for adults who may use the facility.

Treba asked the disability advisory committee to nominate no more than two members to work with the selection committee and to review designs during the scoping phase, with an expectation that design work would occur over the fall and winter. He said the city typically allows 45–60 days for proposal responses and that the target is to have the project funded and ready by the end of the 2027 Little League season (target date referenced by the mayor: June 1, 2027), so construction could be completed before the February 2028 season.