The underground drainage system installed at Memorial Field in the 1970s is no longer working, leaving puddles of standing water rendering Concord’s athletic facility unusable after heavy rains.
Meanwhile, smaller communities across the state, like Bedford, Hollis-Brookline and Laconia have invested in newer artifical turf fields that have become the envy of Concord athletic families.
Now, city and school officials are poised to create a Park Master Plan and analysis for the Memorial Field Complex ahead of expected renovations.
The cost of the plan and analysis, which totals to around $142,000, will be split evenly between the Concord School District and the City of Concord, both which will contribute around $70,000, respectively.
“The board members expressed appreciation for the collaboration between the city and the school department and we are ready and able to assist with this effort,” Concord Superintendent Kathleen Murphy wrote to the city. “They recognize this work will take time but look forward to participating at the hearings to provide public input.”
A public hearing on the spending for the Memorial Field master plan will be the subject of a public hearing before the City Council on June 12.
The eventual improvements to the complex, which may include a new track layout and the addition of an artificial turf field, could cost up to $5 million. If approved, the planning to determine the eventual scope and cost of improvements will begin in June and could take up to 10 months to complete.
The field, a 36-acre complex serving athletes of all ages and in a range of sports, has long faced deterioration, flooding and overuse.
Located off South Fruit Street in Concord, Memorial Field includes two football fields, a track, a baseball field, two softball fields, a Little Leage Field, two soccer/lacrosse fields, 10 tennis courts, two basketball courts and open space, according to the city website.
The review will include examining soil conditions, site drainage, and other site improvements, according to city documents.
Concord athletes, parents and coaches have voiced concerns in recent years with the conditions of Memorial Field, where storms can create pools of standing water. Games at all levels are often postponed or relocated due to poor conditions.
Over the last ten years, the city has invested almost $800,000 to improve the tennis courts, the baseball field press box and an engineering study for the baseball and football field bleachers.
In the coming years, the complex is expected to require significant investment to improve the drainage of the entire site and general field conditions, the installation of new bathrooms and a maintenance building, bleacher replacement for the football field, major renovations to the baseball field bleachers, field lighting upgrades and a full renovation of the existing track and related site improvements.
Throughout the process, public hearings will be held for city councilors and school board members to listen to the wants and needs of city residents.
“This is something we’ll probably talk about during the budget process,” Mayor Jim Bouley said during the City Council meeting last month.
Also included in preliminary budget discussions will be the installation of soccer lights at Keach Park, a new clubhouse at Beaver Meadow Golf Course and other amenities throughout the city, he added.
The draft budget schedule, presented by the Finance Committee at the Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee meeting in March, will be delivered to city councilors on May 11. Negotiations and deliberations are expected to last through June during a series of public hearings before a vote is taken by councilors.
