District administrators and architects gathered at North Shore High School Saturday to celebrate the opening of the district's new 100,000-square-foot athletic field, running track and supporting facilities, which was designed by BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers of Patchogue
"We are delighted with our new track and stadium field, and look forward to supporting our students’ athletic development for years come," said district superintendent Ed Melnick in a statement.
Melnick thanked the project's design team for its role in creating facilities that will reduce annual maintenance costs and not impact an adjacent wetlands recharge basin.
The firm's director of architecture, Joseph Rettig, said in a statement that the site's fill and soil had poor drainage, so his team came up with ways to correct the problem.
“The new field features a subsurface drainage and a water detention system that prevents storm run-off from entering the wetland,” said Rettig. “The drainage system consists of a permeable stone base beneath the synthetic turf surface and a perforated pipe network that directs rain water to the underground plastic detention chambers.”
The new complex replaces the previous field with one of synthetic turf and expands a six-lane track to eight lanes. The synthetic surfaces will cut down on maintenance costs, a press release stated.
The previous facilities had been deteriorating, Rettig said, and were insufficient for the district's 2,850 students.
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The improved track will benefit the varsity women's cross country team, which is a two-time state Class A championship winner, as well as the winter and spring track teams. The teams have won a combined nine consecutive Nassau County championships.
The new complex also includes a 1,700-square-foot concession, bathroom and storage facility.
Funding for the $3.8 project was secured through creative means, including the district's non-profit, the Viking Foundation, said district assistant superintendent for business Olivia Buatsi in a statement.
“The design and construction of the new field and track were financed through funds raised by the Viking Foundation, the district’s capital reserve, a budgetary appropriation and a grant provided by New York State’s Senator Carl L. Marcellino and Assembly Member Chuck Lavine," Buatsi said. "The Viking Foundation developed a fundraising program to replenish $1.5 million of the $3.1 million provided to the project from the district’s capital reserve. The remainder of the funds came from the budgetary appropriation and a $105,000 grant secured by Messrs. Marcellino and Lavine.”
Savin Engineers of Pleasantville, N.Y. managed construction of the complex.
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