Synthetic turf going down on Haverhill Stadium field this week

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July 30, 2010

By Ross Marrinson rmarrinson@hgazette.com

And so it begins.

One lonely bulldozer entered Haverhill Stadium on Monday morning to begin the process of leveling the field before new synthetic turf could be installed.

It is just another step in what has been a long process to renovate the historic Haverhill Stadium.

The preparatory work included digging out the grass field and leveling what remained, said Haverhill High School Athletic Director Garin Veris.

The bid to install the synthetic turf was awarded to David W. White & Son, Inc., a Bow, N.H., company that has renovated numerous athletic facilities across Massachusetts, including ones at Brandeis, Tufts, Fitchburg State and various high schools around Merrimack Valley.

White & Son's bid of $1,078,823 includes installing the turf to the football field as well as the entire baseball field, putting Haverhill at the athletic forefront in the Merrimack Valley, said Stadium Commissioner Bill Moynihan.

"The (synthetic) field gives our players a first-class playing field," Moynihan said, noting that Haverhill will have the only all-synthetic turf facility in the area.

The commission will use $921,177 that remains — the state awarded Haverhill $2 million in February for stadium reconstruction — to help renovate the grandstands, mostly to maintain the structural integrity of the stands while reinforcing the aging concrete.

"We will look to renovate as much as we can and make it a safe facility for all who use it," Veris said.

The Stadium Commission, which is in charge of operating the venue, had asked the state for $6.5 million for renovations to the concrete stadium when it first submitted its request.

The money has come in stages since then.

A $1 million payment from the state in 2006 was used to build ramps and wheelchair-accessible seating.

Renovations since then — updated security and surveillance programs and new doors and windows for the locker rooms — have been paid for through the stadium's on-field advertising, which provides $25,000 per year.

The $2 million grant in 2010 brings the total to $3 million in state funding to upgrade the stadium, an amount that state Sen. Steve Baddour says didn't come easily.

"It's a tough environment to get any money," he said. "But we consider this to be an investment."

The city does not have to repay the money, Baddour said.

To complete the necessary renovation, Moynihan said, would require $2 million to $3 million more, and bids are out now for the grandstand updates.

"The stands are safe now," he said. "But they do need upgrades."

Moynihan, a lifelong Haverhill resident, remembers the days when the football program would attract thousands of fans each week.

"At one time, football paid for all sports," he said.

Today, the commission must look for other ways to make money. The new field will be rented to various sports organizations at all levels looking for neutral sites, whether it's an all-star, regular season or playoff matchup.

"Teams are looking for neutral sites all the time," Moynihan said. "Colleges, D3 programs, other schools, they all could use this facility."

In the meantime, the ground-breaking on Monday signified the continuing renaissance for Haverhill, Baddour said.

"This is what builds community pride," he said.

Veris agreed.

"It's a great day," he said. "The community should be excited about this."

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