Batter Up! Chicago Park District, Chicago Cubs Charities and City Leaders Step Up to the Plate to Break Ground at Bessemer Park for Baseball Diamond and Landscape Upgrades

Project features versatile new fields, ADA accessible bleachers and paths

Chicago, IL- The Chicago Park District is thrilled to join Chicago Cubs Charities, 7th Ward Alderman Greg Mitchell, 10th Ward Alderman Peter Chico and members of the South Chicago community to break ground on baseball field upgrades Friday, August 16, 2024, at 8:30am at Bessemer Park, located at 8930 S. Muskegon Avenue.

Funded through the Chicago Cubs Charities' Diamond Project, the investment includes the revitalization of the ballfields, ADA accessible paths that connect bleachers to other park amenities, and intuitively positioned lawn space to allow recreational activities to take place simultaneously with baseball.

"Baseball and softball diamonds are cornerstones in many Chicago communities, and we are so grateful to Chicago Cubs Charities for their support in bringing enhanced amenities and opportunities to Bessemer Park," said Superintendent and CEO Rosa Escareño. "Once completed, this project will accommodate multiple levels of play, that will support athletes as they progress while efficiently restoring green space for other activities at Bessemer Park."

This project includes the conversion of four small diamonds to green space, while revitalizing two existing diamonds. The conservation and redesign of the existing diamonds will usher in a versatility not seen before at Bessemer Park. Both remaining diamonds will have their backstops, side wings, and player's benches removed to install two new fields in the same footprints. One new field will accommodate both 60-foot and 90-foot basepaths, while the second new field will accommodate basepaths 60 feet and 70 feet in length. The adaptability of the new fields will accommodate all levels of baseball and softball play.

"We are proud to have seeded what will be a transformative project in South Chicago and to continue to help provide safe spaces for Chicago's children and young adults to participate in sports," said Mike Lufrano, Executive Vice President of the Chicago Cubs. "It's rewarding to see the tremendous growth of the Diamond Project since its inception in 2014. From Rogers Park to Pullman, we are reaching communities across Chicago and helping foster a love for diamond sports."

As a result of the Bessemer Baseball Project, each revitalized field will include regulation backstops, side wings, bases, moveable pitcher's mounds, player's enclosures with benches, as well as two ADA accessible bleachers. Both the player's benches and the bleachers will be surface mounted to concrete which will wrap around the backstops, connecting the spectators and players of all abilities to an existing water fountain and a public sidewalk. The new arrangement of the fields will be clear of existing soccer goals that sit on the Bessemer Park lawn, allowing the green space to serve alternative activities to baseball and softball.