East Peoria is moving toward the final step in a five-year effort to modernize all 10 outdoor baseball and softball diamonds at the EastSide Centre sports complex. The City Council unanimously approved a $2.6 million contract for synthetic turf on the remaining two fields, along with additional facility and road improvements.
Key takeaways
The council’s decisions advance several projects affecting sports facilities and transportation infrastructure:
- Fields 5 and 6 will receive synthetic turf under a $2.6 million contract with ATG Sports.
- Seven LED light poles could be added to the final two fields for $397,000.
- A separate contract will upgrade the complex’s aging volleyball courts.
- The city is pursuing up to $1.8 million for pavement improvements on Centennial Drive.
Final fields to receive synthetic turf
ATG Sports will complete a turnkey installation using its RamTurf fiber material, the same product installed on the other eight diamonds. City officials said retaining the same contractor and turf system will provide consistent playing conditions, quality and safety throughout the complex.
The final phase is expected to improve the complex’s ability to host tournaments and other high-traffic events. Kory Brown, the city’s director of tourism and special events, said the turf has contributed to the facility’s strongest year for gross revenue.
Lighting could expand field use
The project includes an alternate addition costing about $397,000 for seven LED lighting poles. The smallest diamonds currently lack lighting, limiting scheduling options and nighttime use.
Adding lights would allow more games and practices to be held later in the day, potentially increasing the complex’s capacity during busy tournament seasons. The alternate work was included as part of the project consideration for the final two fields.
Volleyball courts set for upgrades
The council also approved a nearly $20,000 contract with Sports Imports to update the venue’s 40-year-old volleyball courts. The work includes new poles, nets, referee stands, padding and other components.
The improvements are intended to refresh another major part of the EastSide Centre and support continued use of the facility for volleyball events alongside its baseball and softball programming.
Centennial Drive funding advances
In a separate action, the city approved its funding commitment for improvements to Centennial Drive between Main Street and the Illinois Central College entrance at Highview Road. The city is seeking to combine a $640,000 award from the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission with a local match of up to $1.2 million and additional Illinois Department of Transportation grant funding.
An engineering estimate places the pavement project at $1.56 million, with a $260,000 contingency for rising labor and material costs. Officials hope to complete milling and resurfacing before the end of next year, pending the IDOT approval process.
The city identified Centennial Drive as a priority because of its poor condition and regional importance. Longer-term plans call for replacing or upgrading the traffic signals at Centennial and Highview, which officials said are beyond their useful life and have created safety concerns for motorists.
