Maine High School Starts Construction on $4.3M Athletic Complex

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 The 1980s-era lights are outdated, and poles have been damaged by wildlife.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

  • Nonprofit Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

    National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), according to a news release. CLIMB’s ultimate purpose is to help higher-education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes by providing tools, frameworks, and support.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • Agualta STEAM Engine

    Outdoor Learning Spaces and Biophilic Design Create Community in East Los Angeles

    Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School's Agualta STEAM Engine blends education, community, and nature through its adaptable design.

  • Florida Elementary School to Undergo $47M Reconstruction

    The School District of Osceola County in Kissimmee, Fla., recently announced a partnership with construction firm Skanska to reconstruct Reedy Creek Elementary School, according to a news release. The $47-million project will involve the new construction of a 96,000-square-foot academic center, renovating the remaining facilities, a full-site redevelopment, and demolishing portions of the existing school.

Digital Edition