The new field will replace the Fred Berte grass football field, but will be a multi-use field. Watch video
Central High School plays Minnechaug in a football game at Central's Berte Field in Springfield. The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation will replace the grass field with an artificial turf field that can be used for multiple sports including football, soccer and field hockey.SPRINGFIELD — The nonprofit Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation plans to begin construction of a $1.1 million artificial turf field at Central High School in about two weeks and should complete the project by the start of school, officials said.
“We’re excited to get started and we can’t wait to finish,” Chuck M. Brady, vice president of the foundation, said Wednesday.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management, praised the foundation for its commitment to Springfield youth. The project was announced in December.
The field will replace the Fred Berte grass football field at Central, but can be used for multiple sports including football, soccer and field hockey, officials said.
The foundation donated funds to the project and conducted a fundraising effort. The city will contribute $200,000 from its capital project fund and the school budget.
The foundation serves at-risk youth in underserved communities. The MassMutual Financial Group of Springfield committed $130,000 to the project.
The field will be used by high school teams as well as Park and Recreation teams, Brady said.
“It is serving a group of kids that is important to us,” Brady said.
He praised Sarno for his strong support for the project from the beginning stages.
“It will be used for a lot of good purposes, and the community will take care of it for years to come, and it will be a great asset for many, many years,” Brady said.
The field will be constructed by Fields Inc., based in Georgia, and the project will also involve Palmer Paving and Northern Tree, Brady said.
The School Committee voted its support this week.
The foundation was named after the late Cal Ripken Sr., a professional baseball player, and was formed by his sons, Cal Jr., and Billy, retired professional ballplayers.
“It’s a very generous gift and coming at a perfect time when we needed it,” Sullivan said.