Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Maine High School Starts Construction on $4.3M Athletic Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/19/22

Kennebunk High School in Kennebunk, Maine, recently began work on a new $4.3-million athletic complex. Local news reports that voters approved a portion of the funding for the new project in May and approved the district’s overall operating budget in June. RSU 21 School Board Chair Art LeBlanc called the project “very exciting and long overdue,” as the existing athletic complex has fallen into disrepair in recent years.

During a presentation earlier this year, LeBlanc outlined some of the problems with the current facilities. The track was built in 2004 and is cracked and filled with holes. The bleachers were built in 2006, are not structurally sound and are not ADA-compliant. The 1980s-era lights are outdated, and poles have been damaged by wildlife. Finally, the field has drainage issues and is currently unusable for competition.

According to local news, the new complex will feature synthetic turf to support the school’s football, soccer, lacrosse and field-hockey teams. The turf is made of virgin EPDM material and is free of PSA toxins, as well as the contaminants usually associated with recycled rubber.

New home-side bleachers will cost $258,000, while another portable set will cost $170,000. A new press box will cost $212,000, the new lighting system $368,000, and track upgrades $125,000. Funding for the project is coming from $2.8 million from the district’s capital reserve fund, as well as $1.2 million left over from a previous construction project and another $250,000 previously allocated for track repairs.

The district partnered with CHA Consulting, Inc. to design and engineer the complex’s renovations in participation with local firms Sebago Technics and S.W. Cole. Further details about the project are available on the Maine Regional School Unit 21 website.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.