ALBION, Neb. -- Albion is on the brink of a significant transformation for its baseball and softball facilities. In a recent meeting, the city council greenlit a two-phase resolution, paving the way for continued planning and development.

The project is spearheaded by community organizer Ed Knott.

"Phase one, we're looking to raise $250,000," Knott said. "It's a 60-by-100 building, 20-foot sidewall. There will be plenty of room to throw a ball around and obviously it will be heated, cooled and completely climate controlled. That phase one cost of $250,000 should allow us to put up the building on concrete. We're looking at some use turf for the facility along with equity equipment and then ready to go."

Phase two would essentially double the size of the space, making the original 6,000 square foot facility 12,000 square feet.

"That actual space essentially would become a 60-by-100 turf area where you can go kick a soccer ball, you can have a small practice indoors, you can have fielding type practices indoors, the football team can use the space potentially just to walk through and throw a football," Knott said.

The Albion Sports complex nicknamed The Cardinal Cage, is a 60-by-100 foot building that will house a large number of students, and have public access. In order to control the environment, maintenance upkeep would be a major concern, which is why the city will own the building.

"They'd be responsible for property liability insurance to potentially take on a portion of the utilities expense," Knott said.

"We also are organizing a group that would be of, you know, baseball and softball adults and volunteers that would operate the facility," Knott said. "So, we have operating agreements together. Local youth baseball, softball teams would be able to use the facilities at no cost, but there would also be memberships, sold as well. So, there'd be technology in place that would be 24/7 access.

If a family purchased a membership, they could use the facility, you know, on a Sunday afternoon. If the weather's not ideal to go, you, they can use the facility in that way, which will help us generate revenue."

This would be a huge addition to the town of Albion, but Knott's goes on to say, "You know, we're excited to hopefully get going to phase one, know as soon as the ground does the spring. And we're excited to continue our summer fundraising perspective. So, face to face to become a reality in the near future. Other than that, we're just excited for the opportunity for more people to learn about the project and get involved and hopefully understand that this is a ground roots initiative, a local fundraising local dollars. And we're still looking for donors that would love to, you know, step up and help us with it."

Knott and the city are currently working to draft a potential RFP for the building.

"We're working on a more formal agreement between the baseball and softball programs and the city as it relates to operating revenues and expenses," Knott said. "And so we're hopeful to have an RFP released for the building at the January Council meeting that will be on the agenda with formal adoption of an agreement between baseball and softball. The City of Albion at the February regular meeting, along with approval of an RFP for the process."

"So as far as a timeline, our hope would be that in the March timeframe frame that hopefully a building could be ordered when the grounds, as you know, ground site program continues to be completed and hopefully construction will go on through the summer to building the facility so we could use it next fall," Knott said.