The Galesburg District 205 Board of Education is set to approve a $1.796 million construction bid Monday that would bring new bleachers and an enclosed press box to Jim Sundberg Field — the baseball field within the Chuck Bednar Complex — along with a new concession and restroom building serving both the baseball and softball fields.
The project is the latest phase of improvements at the Bednar Complex, which recently saw artificial turf installed at both the varsity baseball and softball fields. All work is funded by the district’s 1-cent sales tax for facilities, part of a multi-year effort that has also included a new warehouse, the Wicall Gym expansion, and upgrades across multiple district buildings.
The special meeting is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at the district office, 940 W. Fremont St. Click here for the full agenda.
The board is being asked to approve a base bid of $1,678,000 from Valley Commercial Construction of Rock Island for the baseball concessions project and safety renovations at Silas Willard Elementary School. A separate alternate bid of $118,000 would add an enclosed press box to the bleacher structure, bringing the total to $1,796,000 if both are approved.
Superintendent John Asplund said the district had budgeted $2 million for the project and was pleased with how the bids came in.
“We had nine bidders, and they were all pretty close,” Asplund said. “We had budgeted $2 million for the project and it came in considerably below that.”
Eight contractors submitted sealed bids during the 25-day bidding period. Valley Commercial Construction submitted the lowest base bid. Legat Architects, which managed the bidding process, has recommended the board award the contract to Valley.
A Long-Overdue Upgrade
The centerpiece of the project is a new concession and restroom facility that Asplund described as two connected buildings joined by a covered archway. The new structure would replace bathrooms that have drawn complaints from spectators for years and will be accessible from both the baseball and softball sides of the Bednar Complex.
“If anybody that’s ever been out to a baseball game in the last 15 years would know, the bathrooms out there are in very substandard condition,” Asplund said. “We’ve heard lots of concerns from spectators on that since I’ve been here.”
The new facility would include restrooms, a concession area, storage space, and a ticketing area near the first baseline of Jim Sundberg Field — allowing the district to gate the complex for summer tournaments and IHSA events. The current center structure at the field would be torn down as part of the work.
Asplund noted that the existing facilities have likely been in place for close to 60 years.
“I think it’s pushing 60 years old,” he said. “I think it’s time for new ones.”
New Bleachers, Enclosed Press Box
New bleachers at Jim Sundberg Field would expand seating from roughly 200 to 300, wrapping in a C-shape around the field with switchback ramps for wheelchair access. If the alternate bid is approved, an enclosed press box would be added at the top of the new bleacher structure. The original plans called for an open platform.
All work must be substantially complete by Nov. 13, 2026.
Pool Consulting, Silas Willard Safety Work Also on Agenda
The board is also being asked to approve a consulting services agreement with Counsilman-Hunsaker, a St. Louis-based aquatics firm, to assess needed repairs to the district’s Mustain Pool. The pool is approximately 34 years old and requires updates to electrical, plumbing, and filtration systems, among other components. The consulting fee is $38,650.
Asplund said the district is focused on keeping the existing pool operational for now, with larger decisions about the facility’s future likely still a decade or more away.
Also included in Monday’s agenda is a safety renovation at Silas Willard Elementary School, where the district plans to build a full wall on the second-floor hallway above the main entrance — an area where an open glass barrier was deemed a safety concern. Asplund said that work would be the first priority once school lets out for the summer.
The district previously approved bid specifications for the Bednar Complex project in January.
