NP Dodge Park athletics fields in Omaha, marina to renovate

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Two years after the historic Nebraska floods in March, NP Dodge Park is finally getting a makeover.

The park’s sports fields have been out of service since flooding damaged them, forcing teams and players to find a new place to train and compete.

But the wait may soon be over, according to Director of Parks and Recreation of Omaha, Matthew Kalcevich.

“Much of what people knew about the fields – football, baseball, softball, cricket – will hopefully come back in better shape before the floods,” he says.

FEMA funding has been approved to help the $ 1 million project.

Approximately $ 733,000 has been approved to renovate and restore the athletic fields, which also includes improvements to other amenities, such as the remoteness of the water pavilion.

“It will actually be moved here and raised, and another road will be built to access it, as well as its own parking lot,” Kalcevich says, noting that the pavilion will be moved closer to John J. Pershing Alley and the entrance. of the park.

“So we’re going to lose some space in the open field, but that was kind of a compromise, because if we had flooding again it wouldn’t be affected.”

The previous seven soccer fields will be replaced by five; while the number of baseball, softball and cricket fields remains the same.

Another $ 365,000 has been approved to upgrade the NP Dodge Marina, which has been opened in a more limited capacity since the flooding.

“Dredging, dike stabilization and other minor things that people don’t necessarily see but that will really make our ability to keep this space as enjoyable as possible as easy as possible for our team,” said Kalcevich.

Kalcevich told 6 News that the renovations will include mitigation measures, such as re-digging of ditches, to help control water flow in the park in the event of future flooding.

The renovations are expected to start in the coming weeks and the target is expected to be completed early next year.

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