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Rebuild plans put pressure on playing fields; board hears options for temporary and permanent solutions
Summary
Trustees heard detailed options for replacing or hosting high‑school athletic fields during the multi‑year West and Highland rebuilds, including temporary rentals, city partnerships and district investments estimated in the low millions.
Salt Lake City School District officials told trustees April 15 that rebuilding Highland and West high schools will disrupt multiple athletic fields for several years and presented options to preserve space for practices and games.
Isaac Astell, a district staff member leading facilities planning, reviewed the construction phasing and the fields affected. He said Highland’s track and associated fields could be impacted for roughly four years; West’s rebuild, a larger multi‑phase project, could affect track, soccer, lacrosse and tennis facilities for five to eight years, with some baseball and softball impacts varying by phase.
District staff outlined short‑term rental options — for example, the University of Utah track, municipal ballparks such as Smith Ballpark and Herman Franks Park — and identified practical constraints including limited availability, shared community use and costs. Astell estimated renting university facilities could cost roughly $100,000 per year; operating and maintaining a city ballpark could cost about $1 million a year under the city’s terms (including utilities, maintenance and security) for a district‑wide tenancy.
As a longer‑term option, the district proposed investing in new fields near existing school properties — a concept with estimated capital costs between $4 million and $5 million depending on turf versus grass choices and scope. Trustees discussed impacts on neighborhood elementary play space, equity between east and west‑side schools, bus transportation needs for students and families and the feasibility of partnerships with Little League and city parks.
Board members asked staff to return with more detailed cost estimates, a timeline tied to construction phases and outreach plans for communities affected by potential repurposing of unused elementary sites. Under district policy G5 the board must first determine whether there is an “immediate district need” for any unused property before pursuing repurposing or surplus sales; staff said the board will receive public comment on field and property decisions at a future meeting.
The board did not take a final vote on field investments at the April 15 meeting; trustees said they want additional detail on costs, schedules and community impacts before making a decision.
