City Council Expected To Give Final Approval To Urban Baseball Academy
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - City Council today is expected to give final approval to plans for what's called the "Philadelphia Urban Youth Academy" -- in partnership with the Phillies and Major League Baseball.
The Philadelphia Urban Youth Academy will be an ambitious effort to help promising young ball players throughout the city -- both on the field and in the classroom.
"It will be for more talented players, where we will be able to develop their skills, and try to help them enhance their opportunities for more academic education, as well as sports achievement," says Ed Fagen, director of development for the Department of Parks and Recreation.
"It is an Urban Youth Academy that we are developing in partnership with Major League Baseball and the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a year-round out-of-school time program that uses baseball and softball as a foundation for youth development."
The Academy is to be up and running by summer of 2013.
It will include improvements to the Ashburn Fields in South Philadelphia, as well as academic enrichment courses and off-season training at the nearby Marian Anderson Rec Center. The total project cost of $2.8 million includes $1 million from Major League Baseball and $200 thousand from the Phillies.
The city is not yet taking applications for the program.
