Skowhegan Selectmen Finalize Decision for Sod Baseball Field at New Community Center
After months of debate, the Skowhegan Board of Selectmen have made a final decision regarding the playing surface of the new baseball field at the planned community center athletic complex. The field will be sod instead of artificial turf, with a bid awarded to Ranger Construction Corp. of Fairfield for $2.3 million. The bid includes construction of a regulation size baseball field that can also accommodate a soccer field, as well as other infrastructure such as access roads, parking lots, sewer and water lines for the entire project, and demolition of dugouts at existing Little League fields.
The project is expected to be completed by spring 2026, replacing the previous homes of Skowhegan’s baseball and tennis teams at Memorial Field. The decision to go with sod over artificial turf was based on concerns about future maintenance costs associated with the latter. Some residents and officials had initially favored artificial turf to attract more athletes and visitors from other communities.
Despite some dissenting opinions, the majority agreed with the recommendation to choose a sod field due to lower projected maintenance costs. With this decision made, town officials can now focus on other aspects of the community center expansion project, including additional fields and courts, a concession stand, maintenance garage, and other infrastructure.
While bids for the maintenance garage, concession stand, and Little League field dugouts came in higher than expected, town officials are exploring options for those components of the project. Overall, the completion of the baseball field marks a significant step forward in the long-planned development of the community center complex at 39 Poulin Drive.
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Photo credit www.centralmaine.com
