GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Now seeking a total of $5 million to breathe new life into a historic baseball field on Grand Rapids’ West Side, the group backing the project has launched a new fundraising effort.

The Brick and Wall campaign asks donors to buy a brick with a custom dedication for as little as $150, with $1,000 granting a donor an engraving on a planned Donor Wall at the new plaza in front of Sullivan Field. Bricks can be purchased online.

Sullivan Field, formerly known as Valley Field, dates back to 1937 and played host to come great players, like Al Kaline, Satchel Paige, Kirk Gibson and Willie Horton. But as the years have passed, it has fallen into disrepair. Now, the Fans of Valley Field are working to restore it and turn it into a community gathering space. Construction started in October 2023.

The project hit a stumbling block earlier this year when wood rot was discovered in the grandstands, with concerns that they could not be saved. That led to a delay in construction. Then in August, organizers said they would save the grandstands — it was going to be expensive, they said, but less expensive than replacing them.

Initially, the project carried a $4.2 million price tag. That has risen to $5 million because of the grandstand trouble, but the Fans of Valley Field say they have already raised about 84% of that, with large donations from Bissell, Meijer, the West Michigan Whitecaps and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, among others. The city of Grand Rapids also sent $1 million to the project.

The renovated park will include the plaza and new entrance, new family restrooms, accessibility features and a museum.

Construction is expected to resume this winter and the goal is to be done in the summer of 2026.