A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the grand opening of a new multi-sport synthetic turf field at Croydon Hall this week.

The new synthetic version where football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and other sports can be played replaces a grass football field. Construction began last fall. The finished product is similar to a synthetic field constructed at Nut Swamp School in 2013 as part of a shared-services agreement struck between Middletown Township and the Public School District, said Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante.

“Time on the field is always a hot commodity in Middletown with many youth and adult leagues vying for space to practice and play games,” said Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, Ph.D. “This new field can accommodate several sports and will be an invaluable resource for the community."

The Crodyon Hall field is also the home field for the Middletown Athletic Club Eagles football program. The school district will be able to utilize the new multi-purpose field for other sports such as soccer. The township will continue to handle permitting for the field, Mercantante said. The $1.8 million field upgrade at Croydon Hall is offset by a $201,000 Monmouth County Open Space Grant awarded to the township. The project is funded through recreation user fees, Mercantante said.

Croydon Hall is located at 900 Leonardville Road in Leonardo next to Bayshore Middle School and Leonardo Elementary School. In addition to the coming multi-purpose field, this recreation hub is home to two baseball fields, a softball field, an indoor gym, an indoor multi-purpose room and the township’s senior center.

The ribbon cutting was held on the fifty yard line Thursday. Participants included Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger and the Middletown Township Committee, Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante, Recreation Director Janet Dellett, and Township Engineer Ted Maloney; Superintendent William O. George, III, Middletown Township Board of Education members, T&M Associates Vice President Robert Keady, and Middletown Athletic Club President Mark Payne.

 

Source:patch.com

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