It’s been closed for more than a year.
That will change next month when Masich Place Stadium re-opens.
The city closed the facility in May, 2017 to undertake a redevelopment of the facility which was supposed to be complete last fall.
However, with concerns that the majority of budgeted $4.2 million pricetag would go into the track, council directed staff to add grandstand and accessibility renovations into the 2018 budget deliberations.
Now, with a $4.8 million budget, the work is nearly complete.
The city anticipates the facility available for bookings and the public shortly after the August long weekend. An official grand opening will be held at the facility later this summer.
The Masich Place Redevelopment Project involves the installation the first outdoor synthetic field in Northern BC, and promises to benefit local and regional sports teams, athletic clubs and associations, and fitness enthusiasts. The infield meets FIFA, CFL, and World Rugby regulations and is a first for Northern BC. The new Masich Place Stadium also includes a consolidated jumps area, permanent throwing facilities and cages, track resurfacing, and upgrades such as trail development.
In 2017, construction contracts were awarded to Twin Rivers Developments Ltd. for civil work in the amount of $2,618,138.55, Les Surfaces Securitaires Carpell Inc. for the synthetic turf in the amount of $642,714.00, Ocean Marker Sport Surfaces Ltd. for synthetic track surfacing in the amount of $588,170.50 and the supply of field fitment equipment to JumpStart Athletics and Habitat Systems Incorporated for a combined value of $130,976.15.
Funding for the project is provided via a $3.2 million grant from the federal Gas Tax Fund, $925,000 from the City of Prince George’s 2017 Capital Expenditure Program, and $250,000 from Northern Development Initiative Trust’s Economic Diversification Infrastructure Program.
This week, contracted crews began constructing some of the final aspects of the facility, including:
- curbing and line painting on the track
- fence construction
- construction of the pole vault shed and jump pit covers
- grading of the throws landing area
The city is currently working on a schedule for the track at Masich Place Stadium, in part to accommodate those who wish to use the track on a drop-in basis. Further information about booking the track and field as well as rules and regulations for facility users and user groups can be found on the City website.
The new field will provide many tangible benefits for Prince George and the surrounding region:
- Earlier and later season play when natural turf fields are unavailable or damaged
- Increased sports tourism with potential for regional, provincial, and national competitions
- Increased field capacity and revenues associated with over four times the usability of natural turf
- Regular season play and sport development for groups such as UNBC Soccer, Minor Football, Rugby, and Lacrosse who are currently without an outdoor field agreement
- Exterior painting of the grandstand structure
The stadium improvements were developed through a feasibility study and subsequent design work by Dialog Design, which included extensive engagement with stakeholders such as the existing Masich Place Stadium user groups.
