Elk River Area School District preparing more fields in Zimmerman

Special to the Star News

The Elk River Area School District will continue to deliver on its commitments to the Zimmerman community, made possible by the 2019 bond and referendum, with another series of projects this construction season.

“We continue to examine our list of needs throughout the district, and of course facilities were a large part of our process in turning to voters in 2019 to fund multiple projects both over the past five seasons and looking ahead to this construction season,” Superintendent Dan Bittman said. “Through some community cooperation and work with the city of Zimmerman, we’ve been able to make progress on things that were identified as needs for our programs and activities.”

Among the improvements coming in 2024 in Zimmerman:

• A new baseball field with dugouts and adjacent parking area, designated for Zimmerman High School varsity baseball use.

• A new complex of four softball fields, including a “performance diamond” with fencing and dugouts, along with adjacent parking, designated for Zimmerman High girls varsity and junior varsity softball programs.

• A new drive that runs adjacent to 128th Street Northwest C that will work both as access to the softball complex and as an access/queuing road for Zimmerman Elementary School for parent drop-off and pick-up.

• Storage buildings at the new Zimmerman Thunder Stadium for track and field, football and other activities at the facility.

The baseball stadium will be located northeast of the football/track complex, with home plate in the southwest corner and the outfield in the northeast. The parking area will be located beyond the right field wall, accessible off of 128th Street Northwest. A new path will also be created to connect the stadium, baseball field and tennis court areas.

The old baseball complex and tennis courts — to the south of the new diamond — will be green space for activities and practices.

The new softball complex will be on the east side of 128th Street (County 45), accessible via Sixth Avenue South with a road that then curves and runs parallel to the main road (behind Word of Life Church). The lot will be just north of the diamonds, and to the south of Zimmerman Elementary Park. The ZHS performance field is planned to be in the northwest corner of the complex, with home plate in that corner and the outfield in the southeast part of that diamond.

ISD 728 voters approved a $113 million bond as part of a two-question referendum in 2019. The new bonding money was designated to:

• Build a middle school to address enrollment growth.

• Address deferred maintenance needs across ISD 728, such as roofs, HVAC systems and parking lots, to maintain the community’s investment in schools.

• Update indoor physical education and outdoor athletic facilities at all three traditional high schools to ensure they are equitable and adequate for students across the district.

• Create more flexible learning spaces across the district and at all levels to support different student learning styles.

Voters approved the bond, or “Question 2,” by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Additional information about the 2019 election can be found on the ISD 728 website at ISD728.org/728Strong.