The facility will include a 40-acre parking lot, outbuilding facilities and a newly landscaped road entrance from Faculty Street.
Construction is underway on a new artificial turf field at Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Wilbraham.WILBRAHAM – Wilbraham & Monson Academy has begun construction of a new $1 million artificial turf field on a 10-acre site off Faculty Street on its campus that will serve as a home field and tournament facility for girls field hockey and lacrosse.
The facility also will be used by the school’s football team, which will play all of its home games there, and will include an adjacent junior varsity baseball diamond.
The facility will include a 40-acre parking lot, outbuilding facilities and a newly landscaped road entrance from Faculty Street.
Artificial turf fields are more durable and are considered a more desirable surface for field athletics.
The Wilbraham & Monson Academy land previously was occupied by practice fields with no direct road access.
Site work began in May and construction will continue through the summer, Wilbraham & Monson Academy Communications Director Rita Carey said. She said the field should be ready for play for the fall athletic season.
The 207-year-old school also expects to host athletic tournament play using the artificial turf complex and the existing athletic fields on Faculty Street, which were upgraded in recent years.
Head of School Rodney LaBrecque said, “This upgrading of our athletic facilities builds upon the development of our new athletic center and upgraded playing fields completed just two years ago.”
He said the upgrade allows the school to compete favorably with its peer schools and to recruit student-athletes, and provides a playing venue for field hockey and girls lacrosse that matches the quality of girls field hockey and lacrosse coach Francesca DenHartog, a Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee and a key new member of the athletics and admissions team at the academy.
Carey said five major donors stepped forward to collectively fund the construction costs.
She said fundraising is ongoing for additional enhancements to the fields above the $1 million costs.
Donors will be honored at a field dedication ceremony once the complex is completed, Carey said.