FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, March 20, 2002

DASNY Ballpark Project Named for Senator Bruno

Minor-League Stadium in Rennselaer County

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Construction crews paused in their work today as Hudson Valley Community College President John Buono and others gathered to name the 4,500-seat baseball stadium for State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno.

Staff of the Dormitory Authority, which is providing construction project management services, attended the ceremony, held on the first day of spring. Project Manager II Robert Simard and Project Coordinator David Blodgett lead the Authoritys team, which is supervising the project on HVCCs behalf. HVCC student Athene Borrero is the Authoritys Construction Intern on the job.

Senator Bruno has been Majority Leader since 1995, and a member of the State Senate since 1976. In May 2001, Senator Bruno secured $14 million in state funding for the stadium, which will be the home field of the New York-Penn Leagues Tri-City ValleyCats, a Class A team affiliated with the Houston Astros, and HVCCs baseball team. Beginning in April, HVCCs baseball team is scheduled to hold home games at the stadium. The ValleyCats first game is scheduled for June 21, with 38 regular-season home games for the 2002 season.

During the ceremony at the stadium, Mr. Buono, a former Executive Director of the Dormitory Authority, told the crowd why naming the stadium for the Senator is the right thing and the logical thing to do.

Over the past 25 years, Mr. Buono said, as our representative in the New York State Senate, Senator Bruno has supported this colleges academic programs and physical infrastructure, helping us become, I believe, the best community college in the nation.

Senator Bruno said, It is certainly an honor to have my name connected with this beautiful state-of-the-art stadium. This is yet another step in the progressive economic development of Rensselaer County and the Capital Region, and this stadium will enhance the areas reputation as a great place for both college and professional sports.

William Gladstone, principal owner of the Tri-City ValleyCats, said he was honored to be part of the dedication of this fabulous stadium to Senator Bruno, a man who had a vision of what could be, and a passion for making a difference. Many of you know that Jacobs Field is the major-league stadium in Cleveland. Fans there dont say theyre going to the ballpark; they say theyre going to the Jake. So it is with great enthusiasm and real joy that we say today the new clarion call for the Capitol Region Lets go to the Joe.

The Dormitory Authority is working with the design/build team of DLR Group of Tampa, Fla., and U.W. Marx Construction Co. of Troy. Other local contractors involved include Architecture+ of Troy, Clough Harbour & Associates of Colonie, and Quantum Engineering Co. of Selkirk.

Among the stadiums features are open-air seats on three levels box, reserved and general admission and an open-air concourse of concession stands, administrative areas, and 10 suites for corporate use. HVCC also will have classrooms inside the stadium, as part of the colleges academic offerings to its students and the stadiums planned use as a community resource.

For more information, contact Press Officer Claudia Hutton at (518) 257 3382, or CHutton@dasny.org. For more information on Hudson Valley Community College and the stadium, go to http://www.hvcc.edu and select Baseball Stadium News on the QuickFind drop-down menu.

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