Last night, the Champaign City Council granted $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to the Champaign Park District, giving the added push needed to get an improvement project started on the Douglass Park ballfields. The project will cost just over $1 million, and will include restrooms, a concession stand, drainage improvements, and an additional field.
The park district has already received $300,000 from an anonymous donor, and plans to do a capital campaign to raise the remainder of the of the funds.
From the press release:
The Douglass Ballfield Improvements align with several City initiatives, including enhancing recreational opportunities for youth and addressing food insecurity. Additionally, recent City and Park District improvement partnerships throughout the community (i.e., Bristol, Glenn, and Skelton Parks) have been well received and have demonstrated that pooled resources multiply possibilities.
Read more about the significance of Douglass Park in our feature from the Year of the Park series.