On deck: Little League field renovation underway in Portland

Four people pose in a line with shovels.

Photo / Courtesy Portland Little League Portland Little League and Kennebec Savings Bank broke ground this month at Pedro Field to start major renovations.

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By Laurie Schreiber

Portland Little League and Kennebec Savings Bank broke ground this month at Pedro Field to start major renovations, including new fencing and the addition of a pitcher’s mound.

The upgrades will allow the field to accommodate baseball and softball games while improving safety and accessibility for young athletes.

The project received a $50,000 matching gift from Kennebec Savings Bank.

Pedro Field, on Preble Street next to Kennebec Savings’ Portland branch, is one of 11 baseball and softball fields maintained by Portland Little League.

Hundreds of children play ball at the field each season, said Justin Lamontagne, sponsorship director of the league’s board.

“Our volunteer-led organization maintains every one of Portland’s Little League fields with minimal funding from the city,” he said.

The gift, structured as a matching grant to encourage additional community contributions, jump-starts the league’s campaign to raise $1 million to revitalize all of the city’s fields.

“Our hope is that this project inspires other businesses across Portland to ‘adopt a field’ of their own and help make sure every child has a safe, high-quality place to play,” said Andrew Silsby, the bank’s president and CEO.

Pedro Field’s renovation marks the first visible step in the league’s broader effort to improve every playing field under its care. With limited municipal funding of just $9,000 annually to maintain all 11 fields, the league relies almost entirely on volunteers, donations and community partnerships for youth baseball and softball programs.