Committee formed to add turf, enhace Troy stadiums

0

For the Miami Valley Today

TROY — A group of volunteers has formed a committee to raise funds for new turf fields and other enhancements at Troy Memorial Stadium and Ferguson Field.

The Stadium and Turf Enhancement Project (STEP) at Troy Memorial Stadium and Ferguson Field is a private project aimed at replacing natural grass with artificial turf at both of these heavily used high school venues in Troy.

The STEP committee is a group of volunteers and the project is being funded through private donations. No taxpayer funds will be used in the construction of this project. The estimated cost is $3.9 million. A generous $1 million pledge from the Ernst Family/Ernst Concrete has helped kick off the campaign, bringing the balance to be raised under $3 million.

The STEP will reconfigure Ferguson Field to a regulation-sized soccer field with permanent lighting and upgrades to the press box, bleachers, scoreboard and fencing.

After the STEP is complete, football games and marching band events will be held at Troy Memorial Stadium, while soccer games will take place at Ferguson Field. Ferguson Field will be renamed pending sponsorship and the Ferguson name will be moved to Troy Memorial Stadium where Troy football legend Bob Ferguson played.

“We are excited to kick off the public portion of our fundraising efforts as we work to secure grants and corporate donations,” said Tom Kleptz, STEP committee chair. “In addition to the pledge from the Ernst Family, we have already applied for two significant grants and are thrilled to learn that our request from The Troy Foundation for $250,000 was recently approved. We look forward to welcoming support from community members who wish to bring this project to reality.”

According to its website, the STEP committee aims to provide benefits of increased safety, as muddy fields have led to countless injuries in recent years; cost savings, as it currently costs Troy City Schools $43,000 each year to maintain grass fields; weather-proof surface that would allow games and competitions to go on regardless of rain or snow; ease of scheduling with greater flexibility due to expanded availability of both fields to be used; and community benefits by hosting more guests and spectators who will patronize local businesses. When selecting sites to host playoff football and soccer games, the Ohio High School Athletic Association gives priority to schools with field turf. Currently, Troy Memorial Stadium does not host neutral site playoff games despite a seating capacity of 10,500 ( the seventh largest high school stadium in Ohio).

The committee is currently working to raise funds in a variety of ways including grants, corporate sponsorships, general sponsorships and community donations. Depending on fundraising outcomes, the STEP committee aims to begin the project in the early summer of 2023, with goal of having it completed in time for the 2023 fall sports season.

For more information about the STEP, visit www.stepfortrojans.com.

No posts to display