The city Parks, Recreation Grounds and Facilities Authority is looking to the past for help managing its ballpark.

Chairman Ed Codi said the authority is in the process of turning over management of Kelly Automotive Park to a re-formed Pullman Board of Trust.

The trust managed the original Pullman Park for about seven decades before the park’s closure in 2004.

“We want to bring that board back,” Codi said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, will be the chairman of the trust, which also will include board members Bill Spohn, Dave Schmidt, and Tom Burnatoski.

Kelly’s auto dealership purchased the naming rights of the stadium, formerly named Pullman Park, last year for $150,000.

Each of the members of the trust has been involved with managing the park in the past.

“These are men who have a real passion for the park,” Codi said. “They each have great knowledge of the park and its history.”

The city redevelopment authority took over ownership of the ballpark when it rebuilt the structure in 2007.

The facilities authority manages the operations of the park for the redevelopment authority.

Codi said the facilities authority is working out an agreement for the trust to manage the park at no cost.

He said he expects everything to be finalized by January.

The trust would be responsible for managing concessions and maintenance. That role has previously been filled by the Nonprofit Development Corporation of Butler. That group, a sister agency of the Center For Community Resources, will no longer be involved with the ballpark.

While the trust will manage aspects of the park, the facilities authority will continue to be responsible for the structure.

“They’ll still report back to us,” Codi said.

Codi said the trust’s ability to manage the park for free will be a needed asset for the authority, which is in need of financial support.

“We need someone to be there, and we’re not in a position to pay for services,” Codi said.

The authority has more than $240,000 in outstanding bills and is struggling to make its monthly mortgage payments to Dollar Bank.

Codi said having the trust volunteer time and effort means the authority won’t need to pay for management services.

“I couldn’t put a figure on it right now,” he said of potential savings. “But there are quite a number of expenses involved to hire people to do all these things.”

Codi said the trust will be able to find and coordinate volunteers to manage the concession stand and maintain the field.

While the trust would fill a needed role for the authority, Codi said his board is still looking at ways to improve marketing of the stadium.

A lack of nonbaseball events, particularly during the winter months, adds stress to the financial state of the authority.

Codi said he is working on bringing a new attraction next spring that would extend through late summer. Codi didn’t comment on what the attraction would be as the board is still working to finalize an agreement.

“This would generate extra revenue if it goes through,” Codi said.

The authority also is looking to sell its share of the Butler BlueSox baseball team, the park’s primary tenant.

The authority owns 40 percent of the team, which is part of the Prospect League for college players.

Codi said his board is looking to sell the share for about $70,000.

“We want something close to that,” Codi said. “We have a responsibility to the community to get the best possible deal.”

William “Wink” Robinson, part of the club’s majority ownership group, said in October that his group would look to pay about $40,000 for the shares.

Codi said the group is welcome to bid for the share, but maintained the authority is looking for higher bids.