NORMAL - Heartland Community College trustees took no action on athletic complex bids Tuesday because they came in nearly $1.7 million more than estimates, but they will spend the next two weeks looking at minor league baseball stadium proposals as a way to share the cost. | More about the stadium bids

Members of a committee interested in bringing a minor league baseball team to Normal indicated that three potential ownership groups have submitted written bids to build a stadium at a Heartland campus site. These groups would own and operate an independent minor league baseball team that would play in the stadium also used by Heartland.

"The potential of the minor league stadium gives us another option," Heartland President Jon Astroth said. "If that comes in at a cost to the college within our athletic complex budget, then I think that probably helps our situation.

"If we can get what we were going to do on our own through a partnership on a stadium and not exceed our budget, then that's a win-win proposition," he said.

The Heartland estimate for an athletic complex that would feature competition fields for baseball, soccer and softball along with a practice soccer field was slightly less than $3.3 million. The lower of two bids received on the project was nearly $5 million.

Normal City Manager Mark Peterson called the development "positive" for the effort to bring a minor league team to Normal.

"It provides us a little bit of time," Peterson said. "I think the message was clearly received we have two weeks to try to pull together as much of the detail as possible."

The Heartland board will meet again on May 20.

Astroth said that in the two weeks leading up to May 20, the college will seek ways to trim costs from its athletic complex bids and evaluate the stadium proposals.

"We want to … come to our board with a recommendation on the 20th to go A or B," he said.

If Heartland accepts a minor league stadium proposal, the school would contribute the money it has set aside for its own complex.

"If they say we'll build you all of the things you were going to build for $3 (million) or $3.5 million, absolutely that's a no-brainer for us," said Astroth. "If that $3 million only gets us a baseball field, then we've got other issues. This stadium can't be just for the baseball team."

Heartland still plans to have some form of on-campus field for its baseball and softball teams to play on by next spring.

"That's what we want to hold out for," Astroth said. "That's our goal, but it won't be our goal much longer. If we don't get started soon we have squandered the opportunity, and that's something we would rather not do."

Heartland has a desire to partner with the town of Normal to make a minor league team and stadium a reality, according to Astroth.

"People in the community are interested in minor league baseball. It's family entertainment that's affordable during the summer," he said. "If we can participate in a project that enhances the quality of life, then we would like to do that."

While stadium construction may not be complete by next March, when Heartland baseball and softball seasons begin, the field could be ready for play while construction continues, he said.