Sports complex coming near Rockford

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A baseball and softball complex with 12 fields plus a championship field will be built near Rockford, the West Michigan Sports Commission announced Thursday.

The Art Van Sports Complex, as it will be officially known, will feature three quads with four baseball diamonds in each. Those diamonds will variously have lighted, fenced fields, grass or skinned infields, dugouts, bleacher seating and scoreboards.

The Championship Field will be fenced and featured the outfield dimensions from Briggs Stadium in 1942 -- which later became known as Tiger Stadium.

Miracle Field, designed for players with disabilities, will also be built in the complex.

There will be warm-up areas and parking for more than 800 cars.

The complex will be built on 10 Mile Road in Plainfield Township, near Rockford, and received $1.8 million from the Art Van Foundation. With that gift, the West Michigan Sports Commission reached 80% of their funding goal for the project.

Groundbreaking is expected soon with a completion in 2014.