Uptown is going to be a little quieter on home football nights moving forward.
Sure, there may be people who might say good riddance to the parking headaches, the noise, the lights and the glare.
But there was also a buzz to the community when the Mustangs had home games at the Bellamy Bowl.
It was a stadium that, as Dave Ryan shared in his retrospective Friday evening, was originally constructed by the Civilian Construction Corps after World War I, one of a few projects in this area to exist today. One of the other big projects we all know constructed by the CCC is over in Palisades-Keplar State Park.
There was a concerted effort by the community in the 2000s to put investment in new bleachers, lights and the works to keep the field operational.
And now, the Mustangs will be moving to Armstrong Family Field at the Martha Parsons and Family Activities Complex located on the school campus for their home games, after bouncing between Bellamy Bowl and Cornell Football stadiums in the past for their home field. The school and city are monitoring the parking issues and trying to get a feel of what that will be like the first year for this activities complex. And we’re sure there will be other minor headaches with this transition. And we’re sure we’re going to find a lot to enjoy about the new field, just like everyone.
We just know that the businesses in uptown are going to miss some of that increased traffic on home football games.
The field served this community well over the years, and it’s always hard to see something like that end.