With the temperature outdoors hovering a couple of degrees below freezing Monday, baseball hardly seemed an appropriate subject for discussion in the south suburbs.
Nevertheless, local politicians and baseball aficionados waxed nostalgic about the summer game as they broke ground for a $3.3 million, 2,500-seat baseball stadium in Crestwood.
The facility will be used by the Cook County Cheetahs, the 3-year-old independent minor-league baseball team that has relocated from Will County and will begin playing its home games in Crestwood in June.
“The significance and impact of this project goes far beyond Crestwood,” said state Sen. Patrick O’Malley (R-Palos Park), who helped obtain a state grant of $700,000 to help pay for construction of the stadium. “This is a major economic initiative that will draw people from throughout the Chicago area who want to watch baseball the way it was.”
Weather permitting, construction of the ballpark at Kenton Avenue and the Midlothian Turnpike is to be completed in time for the Cheetahs’ first home game, tentatively scheduled for June 3, Crestwood village officials said.
Designed by the Kansas City architectural firm of Devine deFlon Yaeger Architects, the ballpark will include a multilevel, brick and metal grandstand, broadcasting booths, two party suites, clubhouses for both the home and visiting teams, concession stands, a picnic area and parking for about 700 vehicles.
Stadium lighting and outfield fences for the park already are in place, built last year by the Village of Crestwood at a cost of $350,000.
O’Malley said that in addition to serving as a minor-league ballpark, the stadium could be made available for high school and college baseball championship games and for sectional Little League championship games.
“This facility can go a long way in helping put south Cook County on the map,” he said.
