New fences, bleachers and an improved irrigation system are some of the improvements that will be made at the Jaycee Sports Complex this spring.

The sign at the entrance of the Jaycee Sports Complex in Collinsville / Photo by Roger Starkey

The Collinsville Area Recreation District Board of Commissioners recently approved $80,000 to make renovations to the complex. The wooden bleachers that cannot be salvaged will be replaced by a more durable aluminum version, CARD Executive Director Terry Wilson said. Four or five new sets of bleachers will be needed, Wilson estimated.\

Crews will install fences around the baseball and softball fields that do not currently have them. Portable pitching mounds, which will allow baseball pitchers to throw from a mound, regardless of age group, will also be bought.

The goal of the renovations is to attract more baseball and softball tournaments to the complex, Wilson said. The tournaments are a way for CARD to increase revenue. Wilson is hopeful the upgrades can be completed before the first tournament, in April, but the weather will dictate the timing.

CARD leases the Jaycee Sports Complex, Glidden Park, Morris Hills Park and Woodland Park from the City of Collinsville. The lease expires in 2029.

Wilson also announced at the Feb. 18 meeting that CARD is searching for a Splash City food vendor for the upcoming season, which begins on May 24.