ribbon-cutting | Weigand Construction

The Tradition Continues

Students, athletes, parents, teachers, and school administrators gathered at Northwood Highschool to cut the ribbon to the new Baseball and Softball Complex! With four beautiful diamonds spanning the edges of the grounds, Northwood’s baseball and softball players continue the school’s legacy in both sports at its own state-of-the-art facility.

A Breath of Fresh Air

The complex is a timely update from Northwood’s older field. Coming in at just over 50 years, the original baseball facility could no longer meet the growing needs of the school’s athletics program. The replacement brings several features that enhance the experience for both players and spectators alike. The new ballpark has four diamonds, two dedicated to baseball and two to softball for junior varsity and varsity level games. Along with seating sections for each diamond, the fields feature dugouts, press boxes, ticket-booths, warm-up areas, and backstops. In the center of the complex is a concession stand and restrooms.

The turf fields allow for easier maintenance, making the upkeep of the entire facility more sustainable. Not only that, but the complex brings softball onto the Northwoods Highschool grounds. Until now, the softball team had to utilize an off-campus field for all their games. This project also includes new access points, which make it easier for students and their families to get in and out of the complex by road or on foot.

How It was Made

Built through the CMc method (Construction Manager as Constructor) by our South Bend team, project management got involved early in the planning process. This created space to identify potential issues before they surfaced. It also allowed our team to offer input with the design and budget to help improve build quality, pricing, and construction timeline.

“We worked with the architect and the school to put budgets to their design and help work through value engineering within the confines of the budget that they knew they had allocated for the full project.” – Aaron Holy, Director of Operations, Weigand South Bend

A Dream Come True

Getting this “Field of Dreams” has been a huge milestone for both the administration and the athletics department at Wa-Nee. Through the generous donation of a previous player, the school system funded this project.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for our kids to have a beautiful sports complex [with] Baseball, Softball, JV, and Varsity all in one location…A great, great benefit to our kids and to our athletic teams…just very excited for the future.”
Dr. Scot Croner, Wa-Nee Community Schools

Larger Learning Environment

Planned in lieu of the rising influx of students enrolling in trade programs, Concord Community School’s employed Weigand’s Construction Management services to build a brand-new trade school facility. This $3.9 million, 10,400 square foot education center houses more students, more resources, and more space for each trade discipline offering.

The Structure

The complex features various spaces designed to support classes such as:

Civil Engineering
Architectural Engineering
Manufacturing
Robotics
Design and Innovation
Construction Trades

These subjects are enhanced through learning areas equipped with the latest technology and training instruments so that students can get a hands-on education with real-world applications.

For the Future

“We are proud to support this investment that will have a direct impact on our students and their ability to increase their industry-ready skills while still in high school…In conversations with local industry leaders, it is clear that having this facility in place to support student learning will set them on a path to success in whatever career path they choose.” – Dan Funston, Superintendent, Concord Community Schools

With the mounting need for people well-versed in trades of all types across the nation, the Engineering and Construction Center will not only benefit the individual careers of students that pass through its halls but will also create value for all kinds of industries that require the skill and expertise of well-educated workers. This will have a lasting impact on learners’ careers, the community, and the economy as a whole.