Schenectady, N.Y., August 17, 2006 – Black Watch Premier Soccer Club, a leading provider of youth soccer programs in the country, has signed a lease to take over operations of the Center City Sportsplex in downtown Schenectady. Black Watch Premier plans to invest over $300,000 to improve the facility. The new lease was put in place with the cooperation of the Center City Committee, managers of the Sportsplex under contract with the City of Schenectady. The Center City Committee worked with Metroplex to negotiate the new lease agreement.
Mayor Brian U. Stratton said, “We welcome Black Watch Premier Soccer to a fast growing and revitalized Schenectady. We feel that their excellent soccer programs will move the Center City soccer program to the next level attracting more people, teams, tournaments and the best of area soccer programs to downtown Schenectady.”
Gary Hughes, Chair of the County Legislature’s Committee on Economic Development said, “We need to make Center City a great soccer facility to create another anchor attraction downtown. We feel that Black Watch Premier will help position the downtown arena as a leading soccer venue in Upstate New York.”
Larry Jasenski, on behalf of Black Watch Premier Soccer, said, “Black Watch Premier continues to grow and by signing the lease at Center City our goal is to make this facility the hub of our operations in the Northeast bringing the best quality teams, players and coaches to downtown Schenectady.”
Mr. Jasenski is President of Draper Development, a local development and construction company that owns and operates 12 Subway franchises in the Capital Region including the Subway in downtown Schenectady.
Steve Freeman, Club President and Director of Coaching said, “The Center City Sportsplex enables us to create a dynamic training facility for our athletes. We will have the fitness center, classrooms for video review and team meetings, team rooms for group functions and the field surface for training.”
City Council President Mark W. Blanchfield said, “The presence of Black Watch adds yet another attraction to our downtown offerings, and we are pleased that an organization of this caliber has committed to keeping soccer in downtown Schenectady.”
Black Watch Premier has signed a five year lease with an option to renew for an additional five years.
The Soccer Club will move its headquarters to the Schenectady arena. The Club operates youth and adult soccer programs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania as well as Upstate New York. Black Watch Premier is one of 45 Nike sponsored soccer clubs in the United States.
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top professional soccer league in the United States. Underneath MLS, there is the United States Soccer League which is home to the next four levels of professional soccer. Black Watch operates a franchise in the Premier Development League, part of the US Soccer League. The Albany Admirals will be renamed the Schenectady Admirals and will also relocate to the Center City Sportsplex hosting eight home games downtown. The Admirals have placed nine players in the top levels of professional soccer. Black Watch Premier has also produced over 100 NCAA players.
The new operators of the Sportsplex plan to upgrade the facility improving locker rooms, the snack bar, and will install a new field surface for the 07/08 season. A new health club for club members will be established.
The soccer organization will also offer TOPSsoccer at Center City helping young athletes aged 8 to 19 with disabilities enjoy soccer programs.
The new operator estimates that over 3,000 people will visit the facility for soccer programs each week translating to 150,000 people visiting downtown Schenectady each year.
More information may be obtained at www.blackwatchsoccer.org
The Center City Committee is a group of community volunteers who took over operation of the downtown arena and converted it to use as a soccer arena in 1996. The Center City Committee has saved Schenectady taxpayers from having to subsidize the arena by operating the facility on a volunteer basis.
Mayor Brian U. Stratton said, “The City owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Center City Committee. This group of dedicated volunteers has operated the arena at no cost to City taxpayers while creating a popular soccer venue. Our goal is to continue this fine work with Black Watch Soccer and Mildred Elley, both continuing the forward progress we are seeing on a daily basis downtown.”
Center City Committee Chairman Brian Merriam said, “Every year we strive to demonstrate our care for this taxpayer owned facility. The 100,000 plus people that go through the facility help to introduce others to the good quality of life in downtown Schenectady. It is our expectation that Black Watch Premier and Mildred Elley will only confirm our public stewardship.”
Metroplex is working with Empire Education Corp., operators of the Mildred Elley School and the Austin School of Spa Technologies to renovate the office portion of the Center City facility including demolition of a rear warehouse and improvements to the parking facility. The rear construction is expected to begin later this year with renovations of the office complex to follow in 2007.
Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen said, “We worked hard to attract a tenant to this key downtown space that would make a long term commitment to grow the soccer program as an integral part of the downtown scene. We are excited about the potential to have this facility attract more people downtown.”
The new lease takes effect immediately and repairs to the facility are already underway.