GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — A baseball field that has been part of Grand Haven's community for more than 60 years will soon receive significant upgrades to continue serving young athletes.
City council members approved a $534,884.76 renovation project for Sluka Field on Monday. The project will expand the parking lot, replace the dugouts and add a new outfield fence.
The project follows renovations from 2020 that saw the construction of a new building with concessions and bathrooms, as well as new cement.
Sluka Field currently hosts the Tri-Cities Kids League, where high schoolers play summer baseball.
Ken Baumgarner, vice president of the Tri-Cities Kids League, has been coaching there for over 35 years, but his connection to the field goes back much further.
"I started playing on this field when I was in like eighth and ninth grade through the tri-cities kids league program. And then when I played in high school for Grand Haven when this was our home field," Baumgarner said.
Baumgarner dedicates countless hours to maintaining the field, arriving early each morning to prepare it for games.
"I get here you know eight o'clock, and a lot of time I don't get home until midnight, because when our games are done at 8:30 I'm back out here working on the field," Baumgarner said.
Despite his efforts, the field has been in desperate need of renovations after hosting thousands of games and generations of young players.
Dana Kolleweher, Grand Haven assistant city manager, acknowledged the field's importance to the community.
"We've made some incremental improvements to it but it definitely been in need of some larger investments over the years so this is another step in its renovation," Kolleweher explained.
For Baumgarner, the upgrades represent an investment in a place that holds deep personal significance.
"Probably 55 years Sluka Field has been apart of my life. I love coaching here, just being on the field to me it's my field of dreams, it's a landmark of the city and it's something I hope will be here for generations to come," Baumgarner said.
Construction on the renovations is scheduled to begin sometime this fall.
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