Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/11/2023
LUDLOW — The Board of Selectmen approved the use of $4.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the proposed Ludlow High School sports complex during its Oct. 3 meeting.
Chief Procurement Officer Lori Belanger was also at the meeting to talk about the timeline and her excitement for the project.
The scheduled upgrades include a new synthetic turf field for football and soccer, a new track, LED stadium lights, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant pathways and ramps, upgrades to the fences, new baseball, soccer and football scoreboards, a new sound system, improvements to the baseball field including netting, a new entry arch, security cameras, bottle filling stations, upgrades to the press box and a building for more storage.
There will also be a new press box behind home plate at the baseball field that will include room for storage.
Belanger has been meeting with Mott MacDonald, the West Springfield firm designing the complex, and Mountain View Landscapes who is doing the construction.
Some of their previous projects are available for review at mountainviewinc.com.
Belanger said, “I was very clear that this was an important project for the town, it’s ARPA funded so everyone has to stay within the federal regulations. This will be the premier track in Western Massachusetts. It’s long overdue, and our expectation is, upon completion, it is going to be an amazing project.”
According to the timeline Belanger presented, the proposed construction start date is mid-October and the work should be finished around the end of July 2024, weather permitting.
Once completed, Belanger said she would love to see the project showcased for the whole community to see.
She said, “I was so excited after the meeting that I felt like maybe, you know, coming into the summer there [might] be some kind of ribbon cutting or get the community in and showcase what that section is going to look like.”
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved funding the project, which has been talked about for years.
Selectman Derek DeBarge said, “I am excited to get this thing going. It has been a long time coming.”
Belanger said she will send the notice to Mountain View right away.
She added, “I would like to send that notice right away, so then it’s wheels up. They can start the planning process; we can schedule preconstruction meetings and really peel back the onion. I feel like there are probably some savings in this after all is said and done and I am going to be working on that.”