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The Galesburg School Board is moving forward with several projects to benefit the baseball and softball diamonds as well as the district’s maintenance staff.
The board on Monday approved working with Moline-based Legat Architects on projects that include construction of a new warehouse to replace the one at Hawthorne Center, a new parking lot north of the Galesburg High School athletic field, and the addition of artificial turf at Sandberg Field , and repaving the softball diamond infield.
Lest you think baseball field turf might be a waste of money…
“You need people working 40 hours a week to maintain that (natural grass) site to make sure it’s usable year-round,” said board member Rodney Phelps. “We don’t have that in the area right now. There’s enough help, let alone two people working 40 hours a week to keep the fields running.”
In other words, Phelps said, while the upfront cost may be higher, maintaining a turf course is less difficult and less expensive.
The district is proposing Legat Architects to study work worth up to $15 million.
One of the works will see the demolition of Ross Hoban Welch School to allow a district warehouse to be built there, as well as extra parking for sports venues.
“This will provide much-needed parking for softball, baseball, stadium events and athletic fields,” said Jennifer Hamm, assistant director of finance and operations. “This will improve traffic patterns around the north end of the facility, thereby slowing down traffic.”
Hamm said the baseball and softball parking lots now available will be converted into handicap-only parking lots. She said not yet.
As for the warehouse, Hamm said, at least half the jobs benefit Galesburg High School, so moving it there would make sense.
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