Julius Houseman athletic field was back in the game last Thursday for a contest between Central and Union high schools after a $5.8 million dollar renovation upgraded the aging facility to 21st Century standards.
The field, which saw its first competitive sports in 1923, is home field for
Grand Rapids Public Schools' Central, Creston, Ottawa and Union high schools.
Grand Rapids Community College and
Aquinas College also host sporting events on the facility's 11 acres.
Last December, GRPS put the renovation on a fast track using money left from the June 2004 bond proposal that paid for the renovation and construction of 11 GRPS schools.
"It happened right as the schools applied to get into the
OK Conference, and [the conference leaders] came and reviewed the facilities and told us what needed to be replaced," says Ken Klomparens, executive director of facilities and operations. "There was a lot of structural deterioration of the bleachers, and the restrooms were horrendous. They hadn't been touched in 50 years."
New restrooms on the home and visitor's sides include four family-assist accommodations. Other improvements include new bleachers for home team spectators, locker rooms, entry gates with six-sided kiosks, field lighting, a new press box equipped with technology for laptops and television cameras and new concessions. GRPS invested $800,000 to replace the Astroturf with the same long fiber artificial turf used by colleges and the National Football League.
"We had traditional Astroturf and every Monday our facilities people had to repair it with fishing line and glue," Klomparens says.
The roof of the home team locker room forms an entry plaza giving spectators a bird's eye view from 30 feet above the field. A second platform is available for rent for parties and family gatherings during games.
Source: Kenneth Klomparens, Grand Rapids Public Schools
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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