Schimmels Construction, of Spokane, has begun work under a $1.45 million contract from the city of Spokane to convert into youth baseball fields nine ball fields in city parks.

One of the fields is at Liberty Park, three are at Chief Garry Park, two are at Underhill Park, two are at B.A. Clark Park, and one is at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, which is near Joe Albi Stadium and is being redeveloped.

"We know we have a need for additional youth fields, and we're pleased to be offering new fields throughout the city," says Leroy Eadie, the city's Parks and Recreation Department director. "We will continue to work with the various youth leagues, teams, players, and parents to assess ongoing needs and solutions."

The parks will be ready for play next May, and softball teams still will be able to use them.

The city had budgeted $3 million for the project from a $43 million parks improvement bond voters approved in 2007, says Carl Strong, a recreation supervisor with the department. The bond also funded the building of aquatic centers and the redevelopment of the Dwight Merkel complex, he says.

The $3 million will cover construction work, architectural fees, permits, equipment, and contingencies, Strong says. He says construction bids came in lower than expected, which likely will allow some optional enhancements to be added to the parks, although he was uncertain what those might be.

Robert W. Droll, Landscape Architect PS, of Lacey, Wash., designed the conversions. Robert W. Droll, who owns the firm with his wife, Heidi, says the fields will have new backstops, infields, and outfields, and the turf will be reseeded.

"The fields are just like anything else. They get old and tired and lumpy," Droll says. "You've got 30 years of service. The moles come through. The soil subsides in some places."

The fields will have portable pitching mounds that can be moved depending on whether the diamonds are being set up for play with 60-foot base paths and pitching distances of 44 or 46 feet to home plate; 70-foot base paths and pitching distances of 48 or 50 feet; or 80-foot base paths and a pitching distance of 54 feet. The city has received requests from different youth leagues for diamonds with all of those dimensions.

Strong says the pitching mounds are lightweight.

The portable mounds will be fabricated from heavy-duty fiberglass and will be light enough so that two people can lift them and move them, Droll says. "We've devised an anchoring system where they can be moved to the desired pitching distances."

Work already has begun on the field conversion at Liberty Park, at 5025 S. Pittsburg, but wet weather in June delayed work on the fields at Chief Garry Park, at 2515 E. Sinto, Droll says. Work was scheduled to start on the fields at Underhill and Clark parks June 28 and at the Dwight Merkel complex on July 6. Underhill is located at 2910 E. Hartson, and Clark is at 3922 N. Normandie.

Seven of the new fields will have "skin," or dirt, infields, although the two at Clark Park will have grass infields, Droll says. "The grass ones take a lot of maintenance," he says. The new fields won't have outfield fences so the parks can accommodate soccer games and other open-field uses, he says.

With the exception of Chief Garry Park, where the fields have good irrigation systems, the fields will get new irrigation systems, he says.

Roen Associates Inc., of Spokane, will be the project manager on the field conversions, the city says.