Grace Road community sports arena plans go on display

Sports fans and residents got the chance to see for themselves plans for a £2.5million multi-purpose sports arena. Up to 300 people visited Leicester's Grace Road cricket ground in Aylestone Park on Saturday for an open day to learn more about the Community Arena Project (CAP). Representatives from the Leicester Riders basketball team, the county cricket club and Leicester College were on hand to discuss the joint project with visitors. The proposed arena, on a vacant plot of land off Grace Road, will provide a permanent home for the basketball club, flexible sports facilities for use by the community and 14 apartments. Russell Levenston, Riders' general manager, said: "It was very busy and we had up to 300 people come along over the few hours. "Rob (Paternostro, head coach) and the players came down to join myself and other staff to talk to fans and residents. "All the feedback I received was really positive. Some residents were under the misunderstanding that it is going to be this massive arena but once we reassured them it was not, they were very supportive. "Most people seemed very enthusiastic at the idea of Grace Road being used all year round and not just for four or five months of the year." The cricket club intends to use a £1million loan from the England and Wales Cricket Board to build the apartments, which will then be let to bring in the vital income. The project is also seeking support from Sport England.