Streator High School eyes James Street complex as future home for soccer program

The James Street Sports Complex soon could be home to the Streator Bulldogs soccer team.

Earlier this week, Superintendent Scott Cameron updated the Streator High School board on plans to facilitate the girls soccer team at fields on James Street, potentially by the fall.

Athletic director Nick McGurk said one of his priorities is to find a way to get the soccer culture a stand-alone situation.

McGurk said the high school saw an opportunity at James Street because it is an underused facility within the community.

Cameron said there will be $63,000 in funds to support improvements for the fields via a Community Partnership Grant with the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Streator High School athletic facility is where the boys soccer team plays its season during the fall, while the girls soccer team plays during the spring at the Streator YMCA.

The biggest issue, McGurk said, is the high school’s facility is shared grounds with baseball, softball and football practices. As a result, the fields get plenty of wear and tear with no time for the grounds to recover, making it less than adequate for additional teams to use.

The high school and the city are working on logistics such as caring for the fields and making them playable as soon as this fall. Cameron said the high school is working on an intergovernmental agreement and, so far, city officials are supporting the game plan, including the park board.

City Manager David Plyman told the Streator City Council on Wednesday that he’s working with school officials on the intergovernmental agreement.