St. Joseph Public Schools is celebrating the completion of improvements at Dickinson Park.
District Superintendent Kristen Bawks tells us they held a reception at the baseball fields last week to welcome some big upgrades for players who are already using the park.
“New fencing, new grass, new turf, if you will,” Bawks said. “The field surface is great. We have beautiful backstop padding, new poles, all sorts of new things. It looks great.”
This is just Phase 1 of the more than $600,000 improvement project. Phase 2 will include the installation of a restroom and shelter building, as well as improving the parking lot and playground.
In 2023, the city of St. Joseph received a $260,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to improve the park. The city had to make a $260,000 match.
The entire project is anticipated to be completed by spring 2026. For now, Bawks says the baseball team is glad to be able to get back out there.
