Phase one of Rec Center expansion underway

Students will soon be able to use the upper fields of the Sports Complex year round, rain or shine, thanks to new synthetic turf being installed later this year.

The replacement of natural grass with synthetic turf is expected to be completed this fall, according to Associated Students Inc. The project marks the first phase of the Recreation Center expansion voted into effect last quarter.

“With most referendums, students feel they won’t be around to see the changes,” ASI president Brandon Souza said. “We promised students we would get on this as soon as possible. We’re very excited about this.”

In the past, many students complained about the seasonality of the grass fields. Natural grass requires three to four months of reconditioning each year for landscapers to seed, fertilize and re-patch areas that have become ragged with use.

The upgrade will allow students year-round, all-weather access to the fields, without the need for reconditioning or routine maintenance.

ASI is currently accepting bids for the replacement of the three fields, which approximate 290,000 square feet. The entire job is estimated to cost between $3 million and $4 million.

“All campus users will benefit from turf that’s designed to have all-weather playability and withstand high usage,” said Ron Skamfer, associate director of facilities for ASI. “We’ll be able to use them far more than we can now.”

ASI is bringing in the services of landscape design expert Dan Almond, who has previously worked with organizations including the NFL’s Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as numerous colleges throughout the country.

The products being looked at now consist of millions of monofilament “blades” of grass that are tucked into a carpet-like backing. Once the backing is spread across the field, contractors use tiny crumb-rubber pellets made from frozen tires that have been shattered, either alone or mixed with sand, and work the mixture into the field until a desired length of grass is obtained.

“It creates a nice cushioning effect that feels good, looks good and doesn’t hurt when you fall on it,” Almond said. “It can withstand a lot of pounding.”

This type of synthetic turf has been used for more than a decade in parts of Europe, but is relatively new in the U.S.

An additional benefit of synthetic turf is its sustainability, as natural grass requires large amounts of water and fertilizer to maintain.

“We promised students the best bang for their buck and the best quality field available,” Souza said.