A new FAQ has been added to the BCISD Bond Website. What improvements are anticipated at the stadium and why are they being proposed? The two major projected projects at Bulldog Field include removing the natural grass playing surface in order to install a new synthetic turf field and replacing the existing track and runways with a new eight lane track. The District administration and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) recommended to the Board to install synthetic turf in order to expand the availability of the field for use by students and organizations. Currently, because of wear and tear on natural turf, the field is limited to approximately 48 events a year and requires approximately 604 labor hours a year to maintain. With the installation of synthetic turf, the District would not have to limit the use of the field and could conceivable host an event every day of the year. The labor hours to maintain the field would drop to approximately 52 hours a year. This proposal doesn’t just impact football, but rather also expands options for other groups like the band, Highlandettes, baseball and elementary campuses utilizing the field for special events. It would also allow the District to expand sports offerings like soccer. Another important consideration for the committee when making the recommendation to the Board regarding turf was the fact that the installation of synthetic turf would save approximately one million gallons of water annually. During a time in which the LCRA has been working aggressively to conserve water and considers the prospects for immediate relief from the record-breaking drought bleak, the committee felt this was an important consideration. In addition to the turf, the CAC recommended replacing the current seven lane track. After seeing pictures of the track, and hearing from the current Athletic Director and former Athletic Director about the conditions of the track, the CAC agreed that the track should be replaced. They also recommended that the track be expanded from seven lanes to eight lanes at an additional cost of approximately $25,000. The replacing of the track would allow the District to host district track meets. The expansion to eight lanes would allow the District to host area track meets. When considering both the turf and track, these renovations would allow the District to rent out the stadium for events like football playoff games, band competitions and track meets- opportunities that are not available to us today given the current condition of the track and field. This means rental fees for the District and visitors spending time at local restaurants and merchants.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:31:43 +0000