Parks staff updated the committee Oct. 9 on an extensive capital project at the Union Street complex that includes LED lighting upgrades, drainage improvements and field resurfacing.

Staff said Field 3’s new lights are fully installed and in use, and crews are completing pole assembly and electrical work on Fields 1 and 2 with a contractor on site. The project also includes significant drainage work and resurfacing of three softball infields; staff estimated total project investment at “900,000 to nearly a million dollars” by project completion.

The work is staged to minimize interference with scheduled programming; staff said fall is a preferred time for heavy field work because spring weather complicates such work. Engineering has assisted with coordination, and staff replaced a majority of pedestrian-bridge planks along nearby trails and tightened them to improve durability. Staff said they anticipate turning off the facility in the first couple of weeks of November to complete punch-list items.

Committee members praised the improved illumination and said the new lights should lengthen usable hours for youth soccer and high-school programs that rely on evening practice times. No formal votes or budget approvals took place at the Oct. 9 meeting because the committee lacked a quorum.