Texas Private School Breaks Ground on $3.5M Track & Turf Project

Fort Worth Country Day, a college preparatory school in Fort Worth, Texas, recently announced that ground has been broken on a $3.5-million athletics improvement project. Updates include renovations to its existing track and two athletic fields with higher-caliber surfaces and technologies, and the school will be the first venue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to utilize them, according to a news release. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2022.

One of the school’s field hockey fields will become a “wet” hockey field, which the press release notes is the “gold standard in competitive field hockey and comparable to fields played on during World Cup Field Hockey matches.” The water-based turf is manufactured by SporTurf and uses a water cannon irrigation system that allows the school to weather the field before use.

Secondly, the grass field at Rosacker Stadium will be replaced with a PowerBlade fiber-based turf surface field made by Shaw Sports Turf. The synthetic turf will act as padding to reduce shock absorption and also serves a temperature-control function that keeps it resistant to mildew, mold and salt.

Fort Worth Country Day track field project

Finally, the school’s Barrett Havran Track will feature the PTS 4000 paved-in-place system made by Paragon Track Surfaces. The base mat will be sealed with two-component polyurethane to create a fully impermeable surface, according to the news release.

“Our track and turf fields improvement project is truly game-changing for FWCD athletics,” said Eric Lombardi, FWCD’s head of school. “No more rainouts because of saturated fields; no more worries about wear-and-tear during practices or competition. We’ll have the ability to host international-caliber athletic events, all while showcasing our 104-acre campus. My top priority, however, is to ensure that FWCD student-athletes are able to pursue their athletic interests on safe fields and surfaces that offer the highest level of standards for competitive sports. Calling this project ‘transformative’ would be an understatement.”

The project is being funded by 21 FWCD donors. Fort Worth Country Day is partnering with Paragon Sports Constructors as the project’s design/build partner.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.