MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The City of Mobile says they are revamping athletic facilities so kids have a great place to play come game time.
Matthews Park on Michael Boulevard is one of those projects. Synthetic turf will eventually replace the grass.
“The pros to having a turf field is having less maintenance- so you don’t have to worry about cutting the grass, you don’t have to worry about grading the field. Also with the rainfall it cuts down on the cancellation of games in Mobile because of the surface- it can take a lot of rainfall and you can still play on the surface,” said Shad Collins, Superintendent of Recreation for the Mobile Parks and Recreation.
For Collins, it’s more than just a project… it has everything to do with a child’s mental and physical well-being.
“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. So if you have kids being active in different sports and programming, that means that they’re doing something positive, and it cuts down on the negatives,” added Collins.
The park will be open to the public with priority for people with a permit.
“To use the fields… we have a permit process, and you apply for the permit and if you get a permit, they give you priority to the space,” stated Collins. “But whenever it is not being used, it is open to whoever comes first.”
Aside from this project, Mobile County is also upgrading soccer fields and building an aquatic center. It is a $5 million undertaking.
“Three million dollars will go towards the aquatic center and $2 million to the soccer complex,” said Connie Hudson, President of the Mobile County Commission.
“Construction, design, wherever it’s needed to get it complete,” added Hudson.
Parks and Rec says they don’t have an exact timeline for construction on the field…due to the uncertainty of Mobile weather. Parks and Rec also says they may want to resurface more fields with turf in the future, depending on how this project goes.
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