By: Zach Edgar
Sports Editor
In the past few years, the Meramec campus has gone through updates and improvements, starting with the new Financial Services and Emerging Technologies buildings, in addition to the new greenhouse and remodeled student center, to more convenient areas for students to study and hang out around campus. With these updates, not much focus was put on the three on campus sports fields. But as of the start to this semester, plans to renovate the three existing fields are underway and are to be completed by spring 2027.
Athletic Director Sharon Marquardt is pleased the athletic department is finally able to do these renovations, as plans have been in the works for the past two years.
“The chancellor has been so gracious to work with us. He has graciously supported this project and is allowing us to not only update the fields here at Meremec, but also do some interior work at Forest Park, which will be a new floor, bathrooms, a concession stand and the athletic training space,” said Marquardt.
In the process of planning, the athletic department is working with the campus’s general contractor, SM Wilson, while meetings with other contractors are ongoing, to finalize designs and ensure the renovations are in budget.
The first update to start is turfing the fields since it doesn’t require as much maintenance and is easier to prepare with weather changes in the region aside from cancellations due to wet conditions.
“Right now we pay an outside contractor to come in and treat the fields. Our internal staff mows and maintains the fields, but it costs a fairly significant amount of money to come in and have those fields treated with all the pre-treatment, pre-emergents and everything to maintain a grass field,” said Marquardt.
According to Marquardt, the cost of turf is going to be less than the current grass management. There may be people that agree or disagree with the idea of having turf fields, but the athletics department feels it will ensure more successful sporting events.
“We can hold more recruiting events, bring in unsigned seniors, our coaches can hold clinics and camps and one-on-one sessions with potential students, so there’s a lot of advantages to having turf,” said Marquardt. “There’s benefits of savings for the college and also recruiting tools for our coaches.”
Along with the turf installation, the campus is going all out with other renovations such as repositioning the fields, installing new fencing, dugouts, seating, press boxes, concession stands, lighting and restrooms, plus a new four tunnel batting cage for softball and baseball to share.
“This project is all encompassing because we have the opportunity to have this money now, and we don’t know what our funds are going to be in the future, so we took it upon ourselves to put everything into this project, not just the fields.” Marquardt said.
Practices will still take place as renovations begin, but won’t be on campus. Anyone interested in watching practices, softball will be located at Lindbergh Highschool, Baseball at the Chesterfield Athletic Complex and Soccer at the Florissant Valley campus.
