South Bend Cubs making steady progress on renovations at Four Winds Field

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - September was a busy month for the South Bend Cubs.

Not only did they end their season, but they also started their $48 million renovation project.

Next time fans are in the stadium, things will look different. Crews went to work just after the South Bend Cubs played their final game this season, and a month later the progress is noticeable.

The renovations will stretch over the next two summers, but baseball will continue as scheduled for Opening Day on April 8.

“The field has been replaced,” said Joe Hart, president of the South Bend Cubs. “Roger Bossard, the head groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox, came in. They finished that up last week, so that’s all brand new sod that has been laid down.”

Now the roof has been removed as they prepare for the second-level deck.

And one of the most exciting things coming is the revamped and relocated splash pad, which will now double in size compared to the original.

“Our biggest thing is on a warm night in the summertime, our splashpad was pretty much overwhelmed with the number of kids playing in it. So, this is going to give a bigger opportunity to spread out, there will be a playground out there as well,” Hart said.

Additionally, the kids’ fun zone will have the same look kids love, just in a new location.

“The stadium was built in 1987. It had a good structure to begin with, but we’re going to make it better,” Hart said. “Our fans deserve the best.”

The funding for the project was made possible through the professional sports development fund, meaning no local tax dollars are being used.

“It was money that was collected through various sites here in town,” Hart explained. “Instead of that money being sent down to Indianapolis for the general fund, it can be retained in our city to be used for projects like this. So, the best thing is no increase of taxes for the resident of St. Joseph County or Michiana, but it gives us the opportunity to do a lot of improvements to a facility that’s really become a jewel of Michiana again.”

This is the largest investment in the stadium’s history, so fans have a lot to look forward to.