Jim Page has a vision for the Sports Complex.
The St. Joseph resident feels Woodard Family Park is under utilized and with some changes could make the park a destination for softball and soccer tournaments as well as community members.
Page presented his plan to the St. Joseph Village Board recently.
Once the plan is completed the complex would provide the community with four baseball or softball diamonds, six soccer fields of various sizes for the high school and recreation league play, a football field, three basketball courts, bleachers for fans, a playground, a large concession stand, a large pavilion, parking for 400 spaces, a one mile walking path and a community center.
The High School Soccer Field
The plan calls for the creation of a soccer field that would allow St. Joseph-Ogden High School, which currently plays at Hackler Park, to have a soccer field that meets IHSA requirements, Page said.
The field the high school currently plays on is located in the Crestlake subdivision and Page is the Vice President of the subdivision’s homeowner’s association board.
Page told the board that traffic congestion at the field is a concern for residents.
The lack of lights at the soccer field also limit the high school’s ability to hold night games and the fact that the school has no way to charge admission at Hackler Park means they cannot hold IHSA postseason games.
“I think the high school needs its own real soccer field,” Page said. ‘They are playing on a little, neighborhood park field and it is embarrassing.”
Page said he envisions a field that would have bleachers, a fence around it and a scoreboard.
“I wouldn’t even practice on it,” he said.
The Community Building
Another important feature of the plan calls for a community building.
Page said several thousand dollars a year are being sent to Royal, which has a community
Page’s plan also calls for the village to sell the current village hall as well as the building located across the street from village hall which the Boy Scouts currently use.
The proposed community center would include space for village offices, a board room, restrooms, a commercial kitchen, small bar area and a large room to be used for community events. There would also be smaller rooms to be used for meeting spaces for scouts and other community organizations.
Page said it would be determined at a later date how big the building would be, what it would look like and where it would be located at the complex.
The Committee
Page’s plan calls for a committee to be formed with members from the high school, village, Crestlake Homeowner’s Association Board, one representative from each youth sports organization, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the St. Joseph Stanton Fire Protection District.
Page said it is important to have representation from all of those organizations.
“It is a community project,” he said.
The committee would develop a vision for the sports complex. The committee could also serve as an oversight committee to deal with scheduling and activities at the complex once the project is complete.
Page said his goal is to make sure everyone is getting what they want out of the project.
“I incorporate all ideas,” he said. “I know it is ambitious.”
Governance and Management
The Village of St. Joseph owns the Sports Complex.
“The village owns the land and they will never give it up, they don’t need to give it up,” he said. “The board needs to set policy and other people need to execute the policy.”
Several options are being explored as to how the expanded park and
community building would be maintained and operated. Grants could be pursued that may not be available to the village or school districts. One option might be is to create a non-taxing public agency that is responsible for managing the recreational facilities. This agency would have an oversight board made up of reps from the schools and the village and
oversee staff, budget, contracts, pricing, fees
Page expects the project to take a few years to complete.
Page said the feedback he has gotten on the plan has been positive and people are excited about a possible expansion to the sports complex.
Page said once people hear about his plan they are quick to suggest other things that could be included including a sled hill, dog park and splash pad.
Page said he is considering those ideas but is putting his main focus on the high school soccer field and the community building.
Page said the community building is pivotal because it is the economic engine that will propel the other projects.
“It would be busy every weekend,” he said. “There won’t be a weekend that is free after you get it built.”
Page said the biggest challenge will be keeping the project moving forward because people are busy with other obligations.
“It is overwhelming to think about,” he said. “But I am motivated by my eighth grader, I want him to play on a real soccer field in his high school career.”
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