The city is ready to seek bids for the expansion of the Elgin Sports Complex, which will help the Elgin City Council to decide if the project, expected to cost about $17.5 million, is done all at once, scaled back or built in phases.
Expansion plans call for an additional three fields for soccer, football and softball as well as new restrooms, a concession stand, LED lighting, a playground and a new pavilion, said Paul Wiese, vice president of SmithGroup, which has been hired to design and execute the work.
Sports Way would be extended to Route 31 to create a new park entrance for better traffic flow and a direct route to downtown. Bike and walking trails within the complex are to be improved.
There is $14 million earmarked for the expansion in the city’s current budget, about $3.5 million less than it’s expected to cost. Bids on different aspects of the work will be requested so the council can opt to pursue a smaller project and postpone some aspects of the work until later.
“We’re going out to bid to see what the numbers are,” City Manager Rick Kozal said. “We’re going to try to keep it as close (to the amount budgeted this year).”
He added, “costs continue to rise. It’s a very inflationary environment when it comes to construction.” What was expected to cost $9 million a few years ago is now $17.5 million, Kozal said.
Parks and Recreation Department staff will come back to the council when the bidding process is complete in April or May.
Council members weighed in on the options. Councilman Corey Dixon said he’s ready to go “full tilt” on getting the expansion done.
“I think a lot of people in the city are looking forward to it,” Dixon said. “I think that we should go for all three fields. This is a project that we’ve been talking about for a long time.”
Beyond that, it would be a good return on the investment because there’s a need for synthetic turf fields, he said.
Part of the impetus for the expansion is the economic benefits that would come with the sports tournaments and other events that might be held in Elgin as a result of it, generating sales for restaurants, hotels and other businesses.
A recent market study confirmed the city could expect a boost from the complex if it’s successful at attracting new sporting events, Wiese said.
The expanded grounds also would allow the parks and rec department to offer more programs and events, which would generate more direct and indirect income for the city, he said.
Elgin right now is at a competitive disadvantage because of its lack of sports fields, concession stands and adequate parking that event organizers seek, Wiese said.
“Our residents are having to go elsewhere for their recreation needs, and competitive teams are going to other places,” he said.
Wiese spoke to one Little League coach at a recent open house for the sports complex expansion and learned that tournaments are planned months ahead of time and synthetic turf fields are a must because games need to be held regardless of the weather, he said.
The fields planned for the complex will be made from renewable and recyclable material, he said, and the shock pads that go beneath the turf will also be made with 100% recyclable material.
“Sustainability has always been part of the planning process,” Wiese said.
Councilwoman Carol Rauschenberger said she opposes synthetic fields because they are not sustainable.
Synthetic turf is not used in baseball, and other sports are starting to reject it as well, said Rauschenberger, adding that she doesn’t believe it’s safe for children to use.
“I cannot support this particular plan because of the type of plastic turf,” she said. “I would be very happy if these were natural turf. I think in a warming world, we are not making a good decision for the future.”
SmithGroup is finalizing the design and next month, tree removal and tree preservation will begin on the site.
Once the contracts are awarded, construction could start later this year and should be done by early fall 2025, Wiese said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.