Artificial turf coming to Memorial Stadium

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Joliet Catholic football fans might find their hilltop isn't covered with grass next year.

On Monday, the Joliet Park District board approved the concept and engineering study plans to move forward with replacing Memorial Stadium's surface with artificial turf.

Executive Director Dominic Egizio said the plans also call for replacing the asphalt track around the field with a rubberized "competitive running surface."

"This would complete Phase 1 of renovating Memorial Stadium," he said. "Construction should start following this football season and be completed by next June."

The first part of renovations for the 58-year-old facility began two weeks ago with the installation of a video scoreboard with replay capabilities.

Joliet Catholic, Joliet Junior College, the University of St. Francis, several youth programs and a semiprofessional team, the Joliet Buccaneers, play football games at the stadium.

"(The facility's) primary use is football, and because of that we keep the turf set up for that sport," Egizio said. "But we'd love to have other outdoor events like soccer, track, lacrosse and rugby there, and a synthetic playing surface would give us more options."

Artificial turf would allow groups to use the stadium throughout the year.

"It takes a while to get grass in shape each spring, but with (the new surface), when the snow is cleared off you're able to play," Egizio said.

Removing some of the concrete curves by the track would allow the surface to be used as a soccer field, and Egizio expects runners will benefit from a new track surface.

"This is a project for the whole community. There are many people who run the track and run up and down the bleachers, and we wouldn't have to worry about making sure everybody keeps off the football field like we do now," he said.

The board also OK'd district staff offering a proposal to the University of St. Francis to make Memorial Stadium their home field for soccer and other sports, in addition to football games.