After 13 years, the turf at Wehrum Stadium has a new look.

Herkimer College officials said a new turf has been installed with "an improved fiber that has better playing and wear features."

Wehrum Stadium was built in 2005 with an all-weather, synthetic grass playing surface, with the average lifespan of this type of turf ranging from 10 to 12 years, according to college officials.

In 2017, the turf was assessed and while it had held up "quite well," there were signs of wear on the surface, according to officials.

"After significant research and site visits, the college decided to replace the turf with the original manufacturer’s (Field Turf) product and contacted the local firm that originally installed that product, Chenango Contracting and Field Turf, for a proposal," according to a statement by Rebecca Ruffing, interim dean of enrollment management, and Tom Stock, college assistant director of facilities operation.

A Faculty-Student Association grant was made available, and the State University of New York matched the grant amount, making an overall budget of $700,000 available to cover the cost of the project.

College operating funds cannot be used for capital projects such as this.

An engineering firm was hired in the spring to "investigate the existing condition of the drainage field so as to insure that any new turf going over the field would perform to the same standard as the original design intended," according to officials. The testing results concluded that the underlying drainage infrastructure was performing to the required standards.

Work began on the installation in June, and has proceeded ahead of schedule. The Generals logo was manufactured off site and shipped to the college last month, and was overlaid into the field turf on June 19.

The finishing touches of putting "in fill" into the new turf blades was scheduled to be completed by June 24. Officials expected the field to be ready for normal use by July 1.

An eight-year warranty will be issued at acceptance of the project by the college.

Wehrum Stadium is the site for Herkimer College’s home men’s and women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse games. Herkimer hosts numerous tournaments annually, including the NJCAA Regional and National championship tournaments. Additionally, many high school teams and other local teams utilize the turf field.

The stadium features home, away and officials' locker rooms and an athletic training room. The field measures 120 yards by 75 yards. The complex also has a full-service concession stand, press and television broadcast box, stadium bleacher seating, broadcast-quality lighting, VIP guest area and restroom facilities.

 

Source: timestelegram.com

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