Council approves more than $8 million contract to turf athletic fields

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A more than $8 million contract to turf 10 city-owned athletic fields was approved Tuesday night by Charleston City Council.

Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said the $8.1 million contract with Turf Alliance is an investment in the community at large.

“This multi-million-dollar investment in our ball fields is more than an investment in our Parks and Recreation facilities,” Goodwin said in a news release. ”It is an investment in our athletes, our sports teams, and our communities—providing increased playtime, promoting safety on the field, reducing maintenance time, and lowering maintenance cost. In addition, this investment will also provide our Capital City with new opportunities sports tourism.”

The mayor said the following fields will be part of the project:

- Bigley Field 1 – Upper

- Bigley Field 2 – Lower

- Cato Park Lower Soccer Field

- Cato Park Upper Soccer Field

- Kanawha City League Little Field

- Kanawha City Softball / University of Charleston Field

- Martin Luther King, Jr Center Complex

- North Charleston Little League Field

- Power Park Field

- Suppa Little League/Softball Field

“We are excited to get this project underway and look forward to seeing the first games played on these new fields,” Goodwin said.