Galesburg District 205 continues to transform its Junior/Senior High School campus with a $15 million Northside construction project, targeting completion later this summer and fall. The project features a new warehouse, a major Wicall Gym expansion, and upgrades to baseball and softball fields.
Superintendent Dr. John Asplund shared updates on the construction projects today on Galesburg’s Morning News.
The project, funded by district reserves and a 1-cent facilities sales tax, began after the Board of Education approved a $12.2 million bid from Russell Construction in September 2024. The 25,000-square-foot warehouse, replacing the one at Hawthorne Center, is under construction at the former Rose Hoben Welch School site on West Dayton Street. It will include expanded food storage, offices, a dock, and covered parking, with completion expected by August 2025.
The Wicall Gym expansion, a 26,000-square-foot addition, broke ground shortly after the bid approval and is set for completion early in the 2025-26 school year. The facility—which currently includes gym space and the swimming pool—adds a large wrestling room, a weight-lifting room, indoor turf for multi-sport training, new restrooms, concessions and air conditioning.
Upgrades to Jim Sundberg Field and the GHS varsity softball diamond include new artificial turf, replacing grass and dirt surfaces. Work will commence after the completion of the current season and is targeted for completion later this fall.
Asplund noted potential additional enhancements at Sundberg Field, saying, “We’re looking at upgrading the bleachers, backstop, and restrooms, but those are still in discussion due to cost considerations.”
A planned practice soccer field that was to be located east of Kimbrough Fieldhouse has been scrapped due to concerns over the surface, and will instead be a location for the band to practice.