Greater Latrobe OKs $1.7M artificial turf replacement for high school fields

Greater Latrobe School District will replace artificial turf on two athletic fields at its high school campus at cost of $1.68 million.

Through a state bidding program, the school board this week awarded the work to The Motz Group of Cincinnati, which has been maintaining the turf for the past five years on the Rossi soccer and auxiliary football field and the Graham-Sobota multipurpose field.

“They’ve been servicing our turf annually and testing it for safety and performance,” said Kurt Thomas, the district’s director of facilities, operations and planning.

At the Graham-Sobota Field, the contractor also will widen an access road to accommodate equipment that is 8 feet wide.

“The turf has been in since 2014 and is nearing the end of its lifespan, which is usually about 10 to 12 years,” Thomas said.

According to minutes from a facilities committee meeting, the Rossi Field received a “fair” grading while the Graham-Sobota Field was listed as “poor” when Motz recently completed its latest turf maintenance. That included a deep-clean, removal of metal objects, grooming of turf fiber, disinfection and testing for impact safety.

The turf replacement work is expected to take place next summer, with Rossi Field first in line for attention.

Money for the project will be drawn from the district’s capital improvement fund.

Constructed beginning in 2013 as part of a $9 million athletic complex at the high school campus, Rossi Field is equipped with lights and seating for about 2,000. Greater Latrobe varsity football games continue to be played at the district’s higher-capacity Memorial Stadium in downtown Latrobe.

Softball and baseball games are among sports accommodated at the Graham-Sobota Field.