MANKATO — Years of planning, budgeting, waiting, constructing and ultimately completing has culminated in a statewide honor for a Mankato youth softball complex that aimed to bring equitable facilities for girls following the previous creation of a youth baseball complex.
The Minnesota Recreation & Parks Association presented the city of Mankato with its 2023 Award of Excellence for the Thomas Park project.
The $6.4 million facility just east of East High School had its grand opening in July 2023 after more than a decade of effort by youth softball advocates and city officials. Calls for improved facilities for girls grew after a sparkling new youth baseball complex was constructed by the city on land provided by Mankato Area Public Schools adjacent to Rosa Parks Elementary School in 2012.
A potential funding source for Thomas Park was approved by Mankato voters in November 2016 with the passage of an extension of the half-percent local sales tax, partly to finance improvements to parks and youth sports facilities. But other projects were inserted higher in the batting order for the sales tax funds.
When Thomas Park’s turn at the plate appeared to have arrived early in 2020, the pandemic hit and postponed nonessential projects like softball fields. High construction costs after the pandemic pushed up bids and delayed the Thomas Park project further.
When the work was finally completed 15 months ago, the facility opened to rave reviews.
The centerpiece was the new Championship Field, complete with artificial turf, lights, concrete masonry dugouts, a high-quality scoreboard and bleachers.
Designed to NCAA standards with an outfield fence at 220 feet, the field soon became the home diamond of the Bethany Lutheran College softball team.
Adjacent to the Championship Field and to the existing East High varsity field are a new concessions and restroom building with storage space and two team rooms. A pinwheel shaped group of four other fields — with natural turf and 200-foot fences — was added to the north and made the site attractive for youth tournaments. The center of the pinwheel offered bleacher seating and a second restroom building.
Other features included batting cages, a circular drive for dropping off players and fans, and trails connecting elements of the complex and offering access to nearby residential neighborhoods.
“Really, three things stood out to make this an Award of Excellence (winner),” said Joey Schugel of the Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association in presenting the award to the City Council. “First, the community engagement that took place. … Also, the gender equity considerations came to the forefront. And then the collaboration with the many different organizations. And that spoke very loudly to the Awards Committee.”
City officials said they partnered with more than a dozen different organizations in planning and completing the project, including the school district, Bethany, Mankato Community Education and the Mankato Area Girls Fastpitch Association.
“The project persevered through a great deal of adversity, including pandemic delays, cost increases, multiple rounds of project bidding and difficult weather conditions,” City Manager Susan Arntz summarized in a memo to the council.
And Mayor Najwa Massad was all smiles in accepting the award from Schugel last month: “We’re very proud of the work the staff and community did.”