H.T. Custer Park in Galesburg has already undergone extensive renovations in 2023 with Galesburg Council considering even more updates.
This year the park has gotten new walkways, a parking lot, and a new playground with a poured-in-place surface.
Coming in 2024, already budgeted for, there will also be a new shelter and bathroom at the facility, and biking training signs.
But City Administration presented Aldermen with plans to also renovate the H.T. Custer Park ballfield.
Parks and Recreation Director Elizabeth Varner says it has the potential to be a $1 million project but those numbers are very preliminary.
City staff has already been working on leveling the field’s surface with some success according to Varner.
Phase 1 also includes new netting that would run down the baseline and help to keep balls inside the field would cost $150,000 and could be included in the upcoming budget.
Phase 2 would include new batting cages, a pitching area, concession/score area and new dugouts but funds for the phase wouldn’t be budgeted for until future years.
Police Chief Russ Idle, who has also been the longtime President of the Galesburg Youth Baseball, says H.T. is a full-sized field, unlike Kiwanis or Voyles Fields.
Ward 7 Alderman Steve Cheesman tells WGIL that H.T.’s, “baseball diamond is long overdue for improvements.”
Cheesman says, “It is my hope that we can get increased baseball usage at HT Custer Park in the way of more tournaments and more teams. The present leagues using it will certainly enjoy a much-improved experience from this work.”
