Taking care of athletic fields is a crucial part of meeting the needs and expectations of the community, sports groups and Park District partners. With this in mind, the Park Board was pleased to approve several upgrades to Butterfield Park Field #1 at its Monday, April 22 Park Board Meeting.
In recent years, the District, Elmhurst University, and Elmhurst Youth Baseball collaborated to enhance the playing fields, dugouts, and bullpens. Building on these efforts, the approved project will replace the original backstop with a more modern netting system that contains foul balls better and improves field visibility for game attendees. The 30-year-old perimeter fencing will be replaced with an upgraded black vinyl fencing. Other updates will include upgrading the warning track material, new dugout facades, relocating a bullpen, and replacing the batting cage.
A pending grant from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will help fund the project. The rest of the funds will be provided jointly from the Park District and Elmhurst University. The project is expected to begin in early July once youth sports are winding for the season. The field upgrades will be completed by the end of August 2024.
