Work has commenced on $2 million in upgrades being made at Pierce Stadium.

In February the East Providence City Council voted to award a $163,000 contract to Pare Corporation to draw up plans for the renovations, which includes a new track, ADA improvements to enable better access to the track, a paved area along the northern end of the field for food trucks to be able to set up for events, additional facilities for local sports (like a jump pit for track), and drainage infrastructure improvements.

On Tuesday, evidence of that work moving forward could be seen with some light work being done by crews to dig up the old track. The project is being financed by federal grant funding.

It wasn’t immediately apparent by deadline when the project would be completed.

Softball field lighting coming soon

During the city council’s first budget hearing on Sept. 29, council members heard an update from Dan Borges, Director of the East Providence Department of Public Works, regarding another project that is highly anticipated near Pierce Stadium — the installation of field lights to be placed at the nearby Amaral Field.

That project, which was approved with the council agreeing to allocate $340,035 in city capital funding back in July, is going forward, Borges said.

“Those lights are on order and expected to be delivered to the electrical contractor within the next month or so,” Borges said. “They ideally will begin work on that project and hopefully have it complete before we receive any snow.”

Council president Bob Rodericks said that update was a relief to hear.
“About once a week some of the girls teams will call me, call all of us, and say ‘You did promise us lights, right?’ They’re coming,” he said. “They’re coming.”