AU fans awaiting the construction of a multipurpose AstroTurf facility on campus will have to wait just a little bit longer.
Work on a softball diamond with a turf outfield large enough to double as a regulation-sized field for field hockey - among other things - has been delayed by logistical issues typical of construction, said Ed McLaughlin, AU's associate athletic director for facilities and operations.
The site, adjacent to the Watkins Art Building, formerly hosted AU intramural sports on a natural grass surface. But it was closed in 2001 when the Army Corps of Engineers found dangerously high levels of arsenic in the soil, dating back to World War I weapons testing conducted on the site.
Three years later, builders are now waiting for final
clearance from the Army Corps, as well as building
permits, both of which are nearly assured, McLaughlin
indicated.
Construction on "the arsenic field," as it is termed by many students, is expected to start in the near future. Once it does, it will take approximately 90 days to complete, McLaughlin said. When it opens it will serve primarily as a home for AU Field Hockey, but will meet many other needs as well.
"It doesn't solve the issue, but it gives us another option," McLaughlin said regarding the lack of open playing fields on and near main campus. "We'll do as much as we can on it within the parameters of daylight. Women's lacrosse may end up playing on it. Intramural soccer and softball, and Ultimate Frisbee" are also possible users, he added. "It will definitely be multi-use."
Meanwhile, AU Field Hockey will return to its home away from home, sharing the University of Maryland's field hockey facility for at least the first half of the fall season. Should construction be further delayed, the field hockey team could play the entire season at the Terrapins' home venue, where it has played all its home games in years past.
"You never know what can happen with these things," McLaughlin said. "We made sure we had a back-up plan for the entire fall. If the field's done ahead of time, they'll play here. If it's not, then as soon as it's safe and they're able to play on it, they'll play on it."
It's less certain that AU Women's Lacrosse, which now plays its spring season on campus on Reeves Field's natural surface, will also play at the new facility, McLaughlin said. However, if the team does move, they would be following many NCAA women's lacrosse teams that have recently left grass for turf.
How seating will be addressed at the new facility remains uncertain, but it's more likely that temporary bleachers will be used to accommodate field hockey fans rather than a permanent structure, McLaughlin said.
Like Reeves Field, the new facility will not have lighting because residents in the community surrounding AU oppose nighttime events.
