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A Fort Dodge ball diamond will get artificial turf and become the designated home field of the Iowa Central Community College softball team.
The City Council on Monday approved two items -- an agreement with the college and a contract for some of the necessary work -- to make that possible.
Lori Branderhorst, the city's director of parks, recreation and forestry, said the project is a "benefit for the city, the region and Iowa Central softball."
The Triton softball team has played on other diamonds at the city's Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex for about 10 years.
She added that it will provide an additional field that would help to accommodate the potential transition of the annual girls state softball tournament to a double elimination format. The sports complex has been the site of that tournament for more than 50 years.
A replica of Yankee Stadium will be getting the upgrades.
The local version of the historic home of the New York Yankees is at the northeast end of the complex, along with reproductions of Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Collectively, these fields are known as the mini majors.
Branderhorst said Yankee Stadium was chosen because it has more of the infrastructure needed to make it a high school and junior college level softball field. She said it has netting to stop foul balls which wraps around the home plate backstop and both dugouts. It also has bleachers, and there is enough room there to extend the outfield to 200 feet in centerfield.
The council on Monday approved an agreement with Iowa Central in which the college will pay 50 percent of the cost of installing artificial turf, for a maximum of $400,000. That money will be paid to the city in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
In return, Iowa Central will get reduced field rental rates through 2033.
"What's good for us is good for Iowa Central," Mayor Matt Bemrich said.
Also on Monday, the council hired Doyle Construction, of Fort Dodge, to do some work on Yankee Stadium.
The company will:
• Remove the existing fences and dugouts.
• Do some earthwork.
• Build new dugouts.
• Relocate the scoreboard.
That work is to be done by May 1, 2024.
The company will be paid $115,294.
The entire project, including installation of the turf, is to be done by July 1, 2024.
Councilwomen Lydia Schuur and Megan Secor were absent from the otherwise unanimous votes to approve the agreement with Iowa Central and the contract.