The Galesburg District 205 Board of Education unanimously approved bid specifications Monday night for additional improvements to the Bednar Complex — including new steel bleachers, concessions, restrooms and storage — at Jim Sundberg Field and the GHS varsity softball.
The approved specs will now be released to contractors for bidding. If bids come in as planned, the board could approve them in February, with construction beginning around June 1, 2026, after the upcoming season ends.
The Bednar Complex enhancements build on the artificial turf installed on both the Jim Sundberg baseball field and the varsity softball diamond in late 2025. The approved plans focus on improving the fan and player experience with:
- New steel bleachers to replace aging ones at Sundberg Field, increasing seating from approximately 200 to 300. The design is C-shaped, wrapping around the field for better sight lines (no enclosed press box, though a covered announcer/scoreboard operator area is possible).
- Removal of old restrooms underneath the bleachers, replaced with a windscreen.
- A new building near the baseball parking lot circle that will house concessions, restrooms, and storage.
- Fencing and parking bollards to control access and enable potential ticketed summer tournaments or fundraising events (regular season games remain free).
Superintendent John Asplund said the current bleachers and bathrooms are beyond their useful life. “The bleachers and bathrooms were just beyond their useful life,” he said. “We need to do something.”
Asplund noted the new concessions/restrooms/storage building will be positioned near the parking lot, with a gate for access to the complex. “We wanted to put a fence up there so that we could sell tickets to the game” for tournaments or fundraising, he said, while emphasizing regular games stay free.
District 205 Director of Athletics Nick Young added: “I’m excited about the proposed plans for the Chuck Bednar Complex. In the development of these plans, our district administration has worked hard to create an experience for our athletes and fans that will be very much improved.
“In addition to the newly installed turf, comfortable seating options with great sight lines and more modernized facilities will make the games exciting for athletes and fans alike. These improvements will also bring us up to a standard that makes us an ideal host site for IHSA postseason events in both softball and baseball.”
Asplund estimated the total project cost (including bleachers, concessions/restrooms/storage, reroofing the old concession stand/team building, and soffit repairs) around $2 million.
The board also approved a separate safety project at Silas Willard Elementary School, replacing a low glass wall on the second floor with a full wall.
All work is funded by the district’s 1-cent sales tax for facilities. The Bednar Complex plans build on the turf installation and earlier facility transformations (new warehouse, Wicall Gym expansion), part of a multi-year effort to modernize every building.
