St. Joseph Sport Complex proposal imagines ways to solve playing field and community center need

St. Joseph has many amenities that make the town attractive.

Residents enjoy the family atmosphere, being able to raise children in a safe environment, schools that attract new residents and businesses owned or run by locals.

But Jim Page has a vision to add something else to the town he loves.

On Jan. 22, Page presented the Village of St. Joseph Board of Trustees with a proposal for the St. Joseph Sports Complex which would be located in the St. Joseph Community Park.

In what Page referred to as a “living document,” he laid out a vision that would meet the needs of a vibrant community.

In its initial stages, Page spent time gathering feedback from youth sports teams, St. Joseph grade school and St. Joseph-Ogden High School, the Village of St. Joseph, the Crestlake Homeowners’ Association Board to create a long-term plan that services the community needs.

The final plan will also include input from the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the St. Joseph Stanton Fire Protection District.

The SJ-O Futbol (soccer) team has utilized the two soccer fields at Hackler Park, located in the Crestlake Subdivision, for years. Alongside field conditions that put limits on when the high school program can host games, scheduling conflicts also often arise when the St. Joseph Futbol Club is in season.

Hackler Field also has only about 30 parking spots for fans and, many times, a few of those spots are taken up by a bus.

The St. Joseph Sports Complex proposal puts all 34-acres of the St. Joseph Community Park to use to address the issues of field use and parking.

Currently, the St. Joseph Community Park includes four baseball/softball diamonds (one of which is rarely used because of its condition), three basketball courts, a playground, a pavilion, parking and three recreation soccer fields.

Once completed, the sports complex would provide the St. Joseph community with access to four baseball/softball diamonds that are up to standards for regular use, six soccer fields of various sizes for the high school, futbol club and recreation soccer teams to participate on, a football field, three basketball courts, a pavilion with storage, approximately 400 parking spaces, restrooms and a concession stand.

The highlights of the newly renovated area would also include a community center, a one-mile walking path around the park, a lighted soccer field with bleachers for the high school team to host games, and a finished path from the park to the future extension of the Kickapoo Bike Trail so that cross-country runners would have complete access to a route that is off the main roads.

Page believes that the entire complex could be an economic engine for the St. Joseph community through sport tournaments and community center rentals.

For years, St. Joseph residents have paid fees for using community centers outside St. Joseph. A facility located on the east side of town would provide the space and niceties that may keep those dollars at home.

The proposed community center includes a large space for birthday parties, wedding parties, fundraisers, banquets and summer programming for youth while also housing small rooms for organizations such as the Boy Scouts.

Even with all the effort Page has put into the proposal, he knows that there are still years of planning and development ahead.

The next steps in the development of the plan are to form an advisory committee that can finalize the phases, look into networking possibilities and develop financing avenues.

Page believes the initial committee should continue to include the constituents from the local groups with which he has already consulted.

Once the project is complete, governance of the complex would need to be established.

While other possibilities exist, Page is interested in exploring an option where the Village and local school districts form a non-taxing public agency through the Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act.

The public agency would include members of the village and school districts with additional ex-officio members to oversee staffing, budget, contracts, pricing, fees, scheduling and maintenance.

Moving forward with phasing of the project would be reliant on funds and scheduling so as to not interrupt seasonal activities.

St. Joseph Mayor Tammy Fruhling-Voges noted that it was the vision of local residents that spurred Phase I and II of the St. Joseph Community Park.

Page said the Village has been very receptive to the idea of creating a park that meets the needs of the community. He also looks forward to working with local school boards as the vision continues to come to life.