The Rockford Park District Board of Commissioners has approved a construction contract for the first phase of improvements to Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park, located at 2004 Ogilvie Road in Rockford.
Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park is a destination for thousands of youth, teens and families. The park hosts youth sports programs such as NFL Flag Football, NFL Cheer, Rockford FIRE Track & Field, Youth Sports Outreach, Rockford Wolves Youth Football, Chicago Bears Outreach Camp, AAU Northern Cross Country National Championships and AAU Cross County District Qualifiers.
At this time, the on-site amenities do not meet the needs of all athletes, and the park district is utilizing other stadiums, tracks and facilities to provide practice space specifically for the track and field program.
In January 2024, the Rockford Park District announced it received a $2.8 million Parks and Recreation Facilities Construction Act (PARC) grant. The funds will be used to construct an artificial turf field and stadium with an eight-lane running track, throwing and jumping arenas, a spectator area with 1,000-seat bleachers, solar-lit parking, and landscaping improvements. The total cost of the project is $7,564,313.53. Tonight, commissioners approved a $4,528,432.03 contract with Fischer Excavating, Inc. to complete the renovation of Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park. The Parks Board also approved a $1,436,180 contract with Kiefer USA to complete the track and field installation.
“This will be a fantastic sports facility that will bring together play-loving youth, teens and families and provide a permanent home for programs such as football, soccer and track and field,” said Martesha Brown, Rockford Park District Board Chair.
Over the years, the Rockford Park District has made improvements to the 77-acre park, including a new scoreboard, signs, fencing, bleachers, a grass play area, asphalt paths and a large shade structure with a concrete pad. Recently, a new access road was constructed off Ogilvie Road to improve traffic flow through the popular park. Last year, the Chicago Bears donated the turf that was formerly at the Walter Payton Center (WPC) at Halas Hall to create the future warm-up area for Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park.
An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to be held later this year, with the project expected to be completed by August 1, 2025.
