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Date: 6/14/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Clark Field is now closed, as the town embarks on a $1.24 million project to replace the artificial turf and running track surface.
Work on West Springfield High School’s outdoor stadium is expected to continue through early August, and wrap up in time for the start of varsity football practice.
Town officials originally thought the project would cost well under $1 million, and allocated $650,000 from the town’s capital improvement budget, and $350,000 from School Department funds, last year. When material and installation bids came in, however, officials found they were about $250,000 higher than expected.
The School Committee agreed on April 25 to allocate $200,000 in School Choice money — income from tuition fees paid by other towns when their residents attend West Springfield schools — to bridge the gap. Without the extra money, the town would have had to cancel the track resurfacing, which accounts for $170,610 of the cost, and potentially also ball safety netting and a triple-jump mesh cover.
Reichelt said if the track resurfacing were not done this year, the current track would reach the end of its life in a few years and have to be replaced at that time — requiring the field to be closed for another multi-week summer construction project.
The artificial turf was originally installed in 2012, with an expected lifespan of 10 years, and “we got a whole extra two years out of our field,” Reichelt told the School Committee. He said safety regulations for artificial turf have changed, and as the field ages, it becomes more of a concussion risk.
“We got it safety tested last year, and they said this is the last time we should use this field,” Reichelt said in April. “It looks tired.”
School Committee member Nancy Farrell said the number of sports or number of events using the field does not greatly impact the field’s lifespan; it is mostly a factor of how long it’s been since the turf and track surface were installed.
During the eight-week construction period, Park and Recreation Department summer camps and soccer games that would ordinarily be hosted at Clark Field will be moved to other locations, such as the grass fields in front of the high school. The track, which is normally open for public use on summer mornings, will also be closed during construction, as is the main parking lot. The upper parking area off Amostown Road will remain open to serve the tennis courts.
Benjamin Paquette, the town’s director of central maintenance, said the project is expected to be substantially complete by Aug. 4, and fully complete in time for the start of high school football practice on Aug. 18.