Evanston aldermen Monday are scheduled to approve a $930,000 contract to make improvements to the north field at James Park.
The project calls for moving an existing baseball field located between the tennis courts and the former recycling center so it’s much closer to Oakton Street. That will open up sufficient space, city staff says, to be able to add an additional soccer field to the park.
A staff memo describing he project says many of the athletic fields at the park are in a deteriorated state and need renovation. “Lack of drainage, poor soils and improper grading significantly impact field use after inclement weather,” Public Works Agency Director Dave Stoneback says in the memo.
Poor soil conditions at the park also led a year ago to the development of a sink hole, which a trash truck fell into last June as the driver was crossing the park, which is built on the site of a former landfill.
The new baseball field will have an irrigation system, which officials hope will make it possible to use it more heavily without having the grass get as worn out.
The project also includes replacing paths adjacent to the new fields and some site landscaping.
Staff has recommended that the contract be awarded to Elanar Construction of Chicago.
Fields
Has the city of Evanston ever considered building at least one artificial turf field?
No…because
No…because that would make too much sense
Yes, at Robert Crown
The proposed Robert Crown plan has 2 or 3 full sized artificial turf fields along Lee St.
Baseball/James Park
They need to make sure the field is able to accomodate 90 foot bases, 60.5 feet pitching. This would allow senior league and those over age 15 to play on a proper baseball diamond. Evanston is one of the few communities that does not have a proper public use baseball diamond in their Park District. The time to do this is now while they are working with a clean slate.