A Welland baseball academy is facing a tough financial situation after being told its rent will triple.
Bullettproof Academy is currently renting a building on the Welland fair grounds property.
Under a 5-year lease that is expiring in May, the Niagara Regional Agricultural Society board is giving the academy an opportunity to renew the lease for another 5-years, but at 'fair-market value'.
Bullettproof paid $58,000 in this last year of the lease, however the rent will more than triple $189,000 dollars based on an assessment.
Flavio Volpe, who leads the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association in Toronto, takes his son to the academy in Welland, and tells CKTB's Tom McConnell the decision to raise the rent by 230% is outrageous.
"It’s got to be a record, and not the kind you want to hold. It’s unconscionable and it's not fair."
Bullettproof Academy, is run by Scott Bullett.
The training centre is the only Niagara based facility of its kind, and draws young athletes from across the province.
The academy employs four full-time and 20 part-time workers.
"This is an organization that has been shutdown 50% of the pandemic. Scott is too humble to tell you how much of the financial burden he and his wife carry to continue this this journey for boys and girls hopeful to go onto U.S colleges."