Park board presents upgrade plans for Schroeder Park ball fields

    Members of the city council and Mayor Dwight Coleman got a close look last week at two proposals for upgrades at Imperial’s Schroeder Park ball fields.
    Four members of the city’s park board attended the council’s March 1 meeting with preliminary drawings of two plans that had been narrowed down from six.
    No action was taken, but the park board’s proposals got some attention.
    Park board member Bruce Curtis said the Schroeder Park complex is well used but needs some work.
    Its three fields for baseball and softball are busy with games from the end of May to mid-July, and its outfields are used before ball season for Imperial’s soccer program.
    “These ball fields/soccer fields are the second most visited place in town, other than the school,” Curtis said.
    “We have literally hundreds of kids using them from Imperial, plus all the people we’re tracking in from the outside, so it’s the second most visited place from the outside, too,” he said.
    Curtis added, “To me that park should be something of a showcase. It’s something that should be nice and you’d want to show off a little bit, rather than not.”
    Summer recreation director Ryan Wisnieski said an average of 150 youths play softball and baseball at Schroeder each year. Soccer numbers usually are above  200 youths.
    Park board member Brad Foote funded the drawings done by Engineering International and owner Dale Schilke.
    The two plans are not as detailed as final ones, it was noted, but are conceptual plans for potential grant applications and for presentations.
    Each plan includes a new concession stand and restrooms, although a separate cost breakdown for those were also listed.
    Here’s a review of both plans for the fields:
    Plan One—Maintains middle, larger field in same location, but the two smaller fields would be rotated so all three home plates would in the center of the complex. All fencing replaced. Two parking lots built southwest and northwest of fields (combined 62 spaces). More dedicated bullpen areas,

two team warm-up areas, two new batting cages (replacing one there now). Estimated hard cost: $475,000 plus design, site surveys, etc.
    Plan Two—All three fields would be relocated. Larger field moved to southeast. Two smaller fields moved to the northeast and northwest, but all home plates also in the center of the three. One parking area to the southwest (65 spaces). All new fencing. More dedicated bullpen areas, two team warm-up areas, two new batting cages. Plan requires moving drainage basin further west or deepening. Estimated hard cost: $662,000 plus design, site surveys, etc.
    While concession stand and restroom costs are included in both plans above, they have a separate hard cost estimate of $130,000.
    Replacement of fencing alone was $95,000.
    As Mayor Coleman asked each council member their opinion on the plans, the discussion turned to a possible new site altogether.
    Some liked Plan A, or Plan One, above. Others said if the second more expensive plan was chosen, they’d prefer a different site altogether. Council member Doug Gaswick said his first option would be a new location that would include soccer fields.
    Charlesa Kline said she didn’t like any of them without discussing soccer fields.
    Gaswick said Schroeder Park is a big embarrassment to the community.
    “Especially when you look at the ball fields in neighboring towns,” he said.
    He said Schroeder’s fields are among the worst.
    “This has been an embarrassment for many years. My kids played on this 20 years ago and the bathrooms are still the same—they’re terrible,” he said.
    The concession stand has had upgrades, but “has gone by the wayside, too. So something needs to be done,” he said.
    He said he struggled with whether the current site is the right property to be doing this.
    “It would be so much easier to start over somewhere else with soccer (fields) with it,” he added.
    But, location for a new site is the “million dollar question,” he said.
    Coleman said the beauty of a new location would be the baseball and softball programs could continue while the complex was being built.
    Mayor Coleman also suggested handicapped parking be added on Holland Street.
    Supt. Pat Davison said paving Holland Street is in the city’s one-year street plan, and they are working on plans for that now. Three handicapped parking spaces along Holland are planned, he said.
    Community Development Director Tyler Pribbeno indicated there are eight potential grant sources he’s aware of for ball fields.

To read more go to: https://etypeservices.com/Imperial%20RepublicanID359/