Work Set to Begin on Highland Drive Elementary Baseball Field

Work is expected to begin soon on the new baseball field at Highland Drive Elementary School.

The surveyors have already stopped by — donating their time — to set the grades and map out the field.

The city’s service department will remove the fences and excavators will strip the grass and topsoil. 

Mayor Jerry Hruby told city council that the “work will begin soon, and hopefully be done by the time school starts.”

“The way it’s going to be designed is the dugouts will be a foot-and-a-half or two feet up, and it will all drain off into the woods,” he said.

The city’s service department is also pouring the concrete and rebuilding the dugouts.

The baseball diamond had been dormant for 15 years. 

The city ironed out an agreement with the Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District for a $1 per year lease. 

The school board first gave thumbs-up on the agreement that will allow the city to lease the land and maintain the baseball field. The city, as well as the school district, would use it for baseball games. 

The lease will grant access to the schools during the week; and the city’s use during the nights, weekends and summer. 

“In exchange, all we have to do is allow (the schools) to utilize the space during schools days, for recess and so on,” said Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby. 

“It’s a good deal…It give us a field at minimal cost.”

The city will pay a total of about $16,000 for the field, including:

·       $1,400 for new concrete

·       $3,800 for soil

·       $1,150 for grass seed

·       $1,320 for benches

·       $3,050 for stands