Central Baseball Stadium Project in Home Stretch

The baseball stadium construction project at Brookfield Central High School is rounding third and headed for home – so to say.

Last year, Brookfield Central broke ground and completed its state-of-the-art baseball stadium, due in large part to a sizable anonymous donation. Last year, the field portion of the project was completed, and now all that’s left are the dugouts.

The Elmbrook School District has submitted plans to the city to construct the two dugouts, and Plan Commissioners will review that request Monday. The district’s proposal calls for dugouts constructed with designer concrete bricks. The original intention was to build chain-link dugouts, but an influx of private donations made it possible to improve upon plans.

In just a few months, Central 4Ward — a volunteer fundraising group of parents and other backers — raised $266,655 and deposited it in Elmbrook School District accounts before the project began.

The School Board voted 6-1 in March to fund one-third of the baseball stadium project, if Central 4Ward raised the other two-thirds before any construction began. 

It was a major victory for Central, which has been told for years that the district would not fund any major project there until private donors paid a six-figure debt from the football / multipurpose stadium project in 2006.

The completion of the baseball field is just the first of a four-phase plan by Central 4Ward to improve facilities at the high school.

The group also proposes in future years building a concessions/restroom facility, resurfacing the tennis courts, and replacing press boxes and bleachers by 2016 or 2017. The entire project, with all phases, is esimated to cost about $1.2 million, with the district funding a third and private donations, two thirds.