Maple Grove Approves $14.9M Upgrade to Gleason Fields
A long-awaited overhaul of a Maple Grove park will finally begin later this year.
Last week, the Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously to approve a redesign of the Gleason Fields athletic complex at a cost of $14.9 million.
The city wants to make the park a signature destination for baseball and softball tournaments.
“I think we have a good product and I hope the neighbors are happy with what we ultimately put into the field, physically and everybody can go out and enjoy what’s really going to be a dynamite facility for everybody,” said Ken Helvey, a member of the park & recreation board.
The design calls for building four ballfields with artificial turf, LED lighting and a new concession stand, among other amenities.
An artist’s rendering of the Gleason Fields Athletic Complex.
The design is a scaled-back version of the one the city approved last year when the bids came in more than $4 million over budget. City officials modified the landscaping plan, the parking lot drop-off area, grandstands, pavilion and play area surfacing to help keep the project within budget.
“The impression is that this is a very expensive project, and it is, it’s a significant investment for the board,” said Maple Grove Parks & Recreation Director Chuck Stifter. “But we have made significant investments in our athletic fields and complexes and a good example of that is Fernbrook Fields.”
Stifter was referencing a $12.9 million remodel of Fernbrook Fields in 2019, which included building four turf fields used by football, lacrosse and soccer teams.
City officials say construction on the Gleason Fields project will begin this spring with the field opening in the spring of 2023.
