No more muddy legs. One of Carleton’s two outdoor fields is having a dress change from grass field into artificial turf, potentially by early July 2014, according to Jennifer Brenning, director of Carleton’s department of recreation and athletics.
“The main reason is it’s really a surface that’s not very playable right now. It’s hard and muddy and weedy and it’s really not a good playing surface for sporting activity,” Brenning said.
The field is the Ravens Road Field near the Ice House and adjacent to Bronson Avenue.
The department brainstormed having artificial turf two or three years ago, when Brenning said they started looking at what their greatest needs were.
Those needs also include renovations made to the pool, she said.
Carleton submitted a request for proposal on Merx, an electronic tendering service, to have the turf installed for $1.5 million.
“It will be our hope that we would have the start in the spring,” Brenning said, so summer camps and community groups can rent the space after the construction ends around July 2014.
The field becomes muddy, especially towards the end of their seasons, lacrosse club president Steven Carswell said. He said he likes the artificial turf idea.
“I think it’s exciting that the school is making investments in the athletics facilities,” Carswell said.
The lacrosse club is one of the clubs that use the grass field. Another is the ultimate frisbee team.
“We’re excited about the possibility of getting a turf field for our practices. We had a few opportunities to use the Keith Harris artificial turf during the fall and we really liked it,” Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, Carleton’s men’s ultimate frisbee co-captain said by email.
Carleton closed the two-week-long request for proposal Oct. 31, and is going to meet the companies that bid on the job, Brenning said. Carleton’s facilities management and planning department is also part of the process, she said.
