Angell Elementary students in Berkley could be using a new cafeteria as soon as Monday, Nov. 9.

The Berkley School District’s October bond project update lists the Angell multi-purpose addition as “nearly complete.” A state final inspection was scheduled for the week of Nov. 1, and the district said it expected students to occupy the space on Nov. 9, 2026.

The district has scheduled a public open house Thursday, Nov. 12, at 5 p.m.

The addition sits on the south side of the building, facing the playground. It houses a new lunchroom, kitchen, storage rooms and restrooms, according to the district update. Angell’s gym also received new flooring, backboards, padding and a freshly painted ceiling. The old kitchen area and attached offices were renovated as well.

Among the final construction details listed in the October update: kitchen equipment is installed, a sound system and sound baffling are in place, carpet is down, and fixtures are going into the new restrooms.

BEAR Complex takes shape

The BEAR Complex, short for Berkley Education, Athletics and Recreation Complex, is also underway. The project includes a 60-yard indoor field house with a weight room, team room and trainer room, plus an outdoor 120-yard turf performance field with lights.

The outdoor turf field had been installed, with crews finishing the seams, according to the Oct. 30 update. Outside bleachers and signage installation had begun. Inside, prep work for the interior turf field was underway, and team equipment cages were being installed around the perimeter. Interactive flat panels, phones and clocks were on order for a late-December installation.

New bushes will replace smaller plantings along the parking lot fence on Dorothea, the district said.

Tyler Park softball field nears completion

At Tyler Park, a joint project between Berkley Schools and the City of Oak Park, a new varsity softball field is taking shape. The field will include lights, a permanent fence, dugouts, stands, a scoreboard, bullpens and batting cages. A practice softball and baseball field for middle school students is also part of the plan.

The October update described the dugouts as nearly finished and said crews had laid outfield sod and installed the infield’s playing surface. Bleacher and press box installation was set to begin in early November. The district said work is expected to wrap up in November, but the entire park will stay closed through the winter to let the grass establish before the spring softball season.

Broader bond picture

The district identifies Angell and the BEAR Complex as projects funded by the bond approved in August 2023, while Tyler Park uses the sinking fund approved in 2018. The district’s October update lists 14 bond and sinking fund projects as complete, including the Berkley High School pool, science wing, performing arts center and courtyard, as well as multi-purpose additions at Burton, Pattengill and Rogers elementary schools.

The district noted all timelines are estimates and may shift due to weather or supply chain delays.