BRADLEY — The plan to create a youth baseball and softball complex in northern Bradley on a 126-acre site recently purchased by the village has taken a major step forward.

At Monday’s Bradley Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved a $456,500 contract with the civil engineering firm Kimley-Horn & Associates, of Deerfield, to complete on-site engineering designs for the proposed 10- to 14-diamond complex.

Including engineering design work and land acquisition, the project is anticipated to cost in the $35-million range.

The complex will be located on the property purchased by the village earlier this year at a cost of $2.55 million. The property is along St. George Road [2000E Road] and immediately east of the Walmart Supercenter in the Bradley Commons Shopping Center.

It is anticipated that Kimley-Horn will take two to three months to prepare the civil engineering plans for the construction project. From that point, the village will then seek bids for a construction manager to coordinate the site’s construction.

It is likely numerous local companies will be involved in the project’s construction.

The goal of the village is to have the complex ready for games by April 2025.

The work being targeted for the first portion of the project would be for work considered as infrastructure, meaning utilities, drainage and excavation.

Mayor Mike Watson is targeting January or February as the time when this work could go out for bid. If all goes as planned, work at the site could start in the April or May time frame.

This work would likely take three months, village officials anticipate.

In mid March, the village board approved an $875,000, 24-month agreement with The Sports Facilities Companies of Clearwater, Fla., to assist in the planning phases for a lighted baseball complex.

The complex is being targeted to not only host local baseball and softball games, but, more importantly, attract travel teams and leagues. The thought is bringing in travel teams or leagues would bring in visitors who, in turn, would rent hotel space as well as shop and dine here.

The area already is home to the six-field, Diamond Point baseball and softball complex in Bourbonnais.

Watson has stated the Bradley fields would be used in conjunction with Diamond Point.

Bradley consistently contracts in engineering work with Bradley-based M Gingerich Gereaux & Associates [MG2A]. Watson noted the firm management said that the company was extremely busy and thought seeking an outside firm would speed up development.