Now that Gov. Ed Rendell has announced a $1.86 million grant for the renovation of Pullman Park, businesses, organizations and residents must begin to assess how the city can fully capitalize on the opportunity that stadium revitalization will present.

While the stadium project is but one component of the proposed large-scale West End renewal effort, it is the component with the potential to directly impact the most people - city residents and people from far beyond the renewal area, even beyond Butler County. The potential to impact so many people means city entities must determine ways to make the stadium - presumably someday the home of a minor league baseball team - work to the best economic advantages within reach.

That means the Downtown Butler Association must begin to brainstorm possibilities for making stadium traffic work to its benefit, once the renovation work is completed and an exciting new era in Butler sports is launched. Likewise, the city government and Butler Parking Authority must begin weighing parking incentives that will be offered to those attending games but seeking to avoid stadium-area parking congestion.

One idea might involve shuttle bus service to the stadium from various points in the city, including Main Street and the tier garage - something about which the local transit authority will have a leadership role.

It's not too early to begin compiling a list of potential promotions aimed at attracting people to the stadium under a minor-league-baseball scenario. That could involve legwork to other cities this summer.

Meanwhile, some other cities use their baseball stadiums for football and other sports. Are there potential uses besides baseball for which Pullman Park could be put to use?

Some people might regard such planning to be premature, because the city still must raise $1.86 million to match the state grant. However, it would be foolhardy to fathom that the city and its various entities would allow this opportunity to slip away. For that reason, putting full focus, starting now, on all that a vibrant, expanded stadium operation could mean to the city is not optional. It is mandatory.

The responsibility even extends to the county's tourism agency - finding ways for the stadium to be plugged into its promotional activities, as well as possibly helping to attract a major tournament.

Rendell's visit on Monday and the $1.86 million opportunity that the governor has placed in the lap of the city shows the kind of things that are possible with aggressive planning and leadership. The governor alluded to that in his local comments as he reflected on a memo he received from the executive director of the Governor's Office of Housing and Economic Development.

"The Butler West End plan is one of the more thoughtful and complete in the state," the memo said.

In addition to the stadium work, the West End project will include industrial and commercial development, housing improvements and other recreation and entertainment assets. It has the potential to be the biggest city accomplishment in decades - a grand slam.

Hopefully there will be other days like Monday bearing funds for other aspects of the West End initiative.

- J.R.K.