Baseball and softball will be taking a big step up at Linn-Mar High School in the next year or two, with construction of a new complex featuring four diamonds and all the related facilities.

The school board voted Monday night to invite bids for the project, which will include competition and practice fields for both sports at Oak Ridge Middle School on Alburnett Road. There will be two baseball fields and two softball fields.

The competition fields will feature lights, press boxes, concession stands, public address systems and everything needed to make a complete package, all in one spot. At present, the softball and baseball fields are about a third of a mile apart on North 10th Street.

Use of the facilities, estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $2 million, will not be limited to the high school.

"It's going to be for all levels," said Scott Mahmens, Associate Principal/Athletics Director for the school district.

The project is being undertaken partly out of a desire to upgrade and partly out of necessity.

"Softball has to move because of Tower Terrace Road coming through," he said, "and baseball needed updating."

Timing depends upon bidding and weather.

"We're hoping to get ground broken by June," Mahmens said. "We're expecting to be using it in 2013, but if everything goes well, we could be there in 2012."