Coralville delays planned improvements to Youth Sports Park

CORALVILLE — The City of Coralville is pausing a project that would have added two new baseball diamonds to the Coralville Youth Sports Park after construction bids came in higher than expected.

Initially, the fields were planned to be available for limited use in the fall of 2026. Now city staff estimate the project will be delayed a year, though that is subject to change depending on when the city awards a construction contract.

The project at the park, 2480 Dempster Dr., would add a 375-foot-long diamond, with the option for 70-, 80- and 90-foot basepaths, and a smaller 250-foot diamond with basepath options of 50, 60 and 70 feet. Both fully fenced-in diamonds are planned to include a dugout, a batting cage/pitching warmup area and bleachers. Grass parking areas and a player drop-off area also would be added.

Estimated construction costs higher than expected

The city said the engineer’s estimate for the project was around $1.58 million. However, the three bids the city received ranged in price from $1.88 million to $2 million.

“We are recommending that we would reject these bids and go back to our consultants and talk about how we can change up either the structure of this bid and/or the timing of this bid so we can get some better pricing …,” Sherri Proud, director of Coralville Parks and Recreation, said at a city council meeting Tuesday.

Proud said the city will consider splitting the project into two in an effort to decrease the costs and increase the number of contractors that are able to complete each part of the project.

The city council approved a request to spend up to $1.8 million for the project in January.

Existing diamond moved to make space

Coralville is moving toward construction of a new recreation center after the council adopted a master plan in late 2024. The project’s cost is estimated to be between $50 and $55.4 million.

City staff have said the existing layout in S.T. Morrison Park, 1513 Seventh St., may not have enough space for both its existing baseball field and a new recreation center, and they are anticipating closing the diamond once construction on the center begins.

The two new diamonds at the Youth Sports Park would serve as a replacement for the closed diamond, should the city move forward with closing the field at S.T. Morrison Park.

The proposed new recreation center, to the east of the existing facility in S.T. Morrison Park, would be 109,700 square-feet and include three gymnasiums, an elevated track, a spa and three pools: a competition pool with spectator seating, a leisure pool and a recreation and community lap pool. Community meeting rooms and strength, cardio and fitness rooms also would be available.

Coralville and the Iowa City Community School District have indicated they would like to continue to partner on the facility to provide pool space for the district’s swimming program. The two came together to pay for construction of the current rec center pool, which was built 37 years ago.

The school board indicated earlier this month that it would support the city’s ask of $14 million to be allocated for the project.

Coralville also is considering going to voters this November or in March 2026 to seek approval of a local-option sales tax or general obligation bond, said Kelly Hayworth, Coralville’s city administrator.

The city is planning to keep the existing rec center open throughout construction of the new building. It would then be demolished once construction is complete.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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