Elgin to seek bids for sports complex expansion that includes new synthetic fields, entrance from Route 31
Elgin is ready to seek price quotes for a planned expansion of the Elgin Sports Complex that will add new synthetic turf fields and more concessions, restrooms and parking.
City council members voted 6 to 1 on Wednesday to move ahead with the bidding process for the $17.75 million project after an update from their consultant, SmithGroup.
The 407-acre complex just south of U.S. Route 20 and east of McLean Boulevard is home to several sports activities, including golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and BMX racing.
The proposed first phase of the project would include two synthetic turf fields with fencing and lights, one new restroom and concession facility, a new maintenance building, a shade pavilion, parking for 270 vehicles, utilities and infrastructure and the extension of Sports Way and the bike trail out to the existing entrance to the Elgin Mental Health Center at Route 31.
Other options that could be added include permeable pavers on a portion of the parking lots and plaza, a playground, adding a third synthetic turf field and upgrading the synthetic turf components to renewable and biodegradable materials that keep the turf cooler. The total cost for the options is estimated at $5.5 million.
The project may be broken up into phases or done all at once, depending on the cost during the bidding process.
Paul Wiese of SmithGroup said the timeline would include 15 months of construction with an anticipated opening of the newly expanded area in early fall 2025.
Several council members supported the addition of a third field as part of the first phase.
“I think that we should go for all three fields,” council member Corey Dixon said. “This is a project that we’ve been talking about for a long time. The need is there. We look at the surrounding communities that do have these types of fields, and they are always in use.”
Synthetic turf fields provide a competitive advantage when trying to draw regional tournaments, especially in the spring and fall when weather is unpredictable, Wiese said.
Council member Carol Rauschenberger, a frequent critic of the synthetic fields, was the lone dissenting vote.
“I’m all for supporting soccer in our community, and I’m all for creating new fields wherever we can,” she said. “However, I cannot support this particular plan because of this type of plastic turf. Besides the fact that it’s not sustainable, and it’s not recyclable. There are many health concerns.”
The city set aside $14.3 million for the project during the budgeting process last year, but construction costs continue to rise, city manager Rick Kozal said.
“When we started doing work on the sports complex funding in 2023, we were budgeting this proposal that we saw this evening at about $9.3 million,” Kozal said. “We’re going to try to keep it as close to what we budgeted in 2024. But it is a very inflationary, escalating environment when it comes to construction costs.”