Sturgis approved agreement on new softball complex

Sturgis city commissioners on Monday approved a $1.6 million agreement for St. Joseph County’s commitment to help fund a proposed $2 million softball complex.
The move came six days after the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to allocate the amount to the city toward development of the four-field complex on city-owned property on Lafayette Street, near Sturgis Middle School.
The new complex will replace the current Spence Field, which officials have labeled “obsolete” and is sought for development by nearby Atlantic Packaging.
The city and Atlantic Packaging have each pledged $200,000.
St. Joseph County’s financial commitment comes from an accumulated fund balance that had exceeded $18 million in payments and penalties collected countywide from delinquent property taxes.
It provided $2.6 million to the city of Three Rivers toward development of a 17-field, $4.1 million development at the north end of town.