Carl Sandburg College broke ground Thursday on the Charger Center, a $35 million athletic and conference facility set to open in late 2027.
Students, staff members, alumni and community members gathered at the Galesburg campus for the ceremony, where bulldozers and trackhoes marked the start of construction on the college’s southeast corner.
“Today is a great day to be a Charger,” said Theo Salim, the college’s student trustee and a member of the men’s soccer team.
The 70,204-square-foot facility will serve as the new home for Sandburg’s athletic programs while also supporting academic and community use. Designed by Legat Architects and built by Estes Construction, the Charger Center will include:
- Two wood-floor gymnasiums for athletic competitions and large events
- An additional gymnasium with multi-purpose flooring
- Fitness and training areas
- A golf simulator room
- An esports arena
- Multi-purpose areas
- Turf fields for baseball, softball and soccer
President Dr. Seamus Reilly said the project reflects the college looking toward its future.
“While we are building a wonderful space on what was a wonderful agricultural space, we are indeed planting the seeds for the future for all of those students and members of our region to come,” Reilly said.
College officials said the facility is designed to serve as more than just a home for Sandburg’s teams, with plans to host youth sports tournaments, industry expos, regional workforce trainings and the college’s annual commencement.
“This is not just for Sandburg students,” said Dr. Autumn Scott, vice president of student development. “It’s an investment in District 518 and the entire region. It creates a place where students, families, businesses, alumni and community members can gather, celebrate and learn.”
The Charger Center will be located adjacent to Building G, facing Tom L. Wilson Boulevard, with turf playing fields on the south side of the facility. It replaces the current gymnasium, which has served as the Chargers’ home since 1978, and the existing fitness center, which opened in the early 1990s.
“The Charger Center will be a place where students compete, learn, celebrate and build lifelong connections,” Scott said. “It creates opportunities for future Chargers who may choose Sandburg because they see a college committed to excellence. The project strengthens our ability to recruit and retain students, providing experiences that help them thrive inside and outside the classroom.”
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The project is the latest phase of Sandburg’s campus master plan, which has also included the 2024 opening of the Science & Technology Center and the 2025 renovation of the Student Center.
“Today, we are making history,” Salim said. “Future graduates will cross the stage here. Families will celebrate here. Students will compete. Students will grow, will learn, will change here. And also today in this groundbreaking, we are creating a foundation that will become part of thousands of Sandburg stories. We are creating the future here for the next generation.”
Related: Listen to our recent conversation with Sandburg President Dr. Seamus Reilly.
