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City Schools outlines REACH stadium project: turf field, track, bleachers; district to fund portion after partner reimbursements
Summary
District facilities staff described a multi-agency REACH field project that will add a turf football field, eight-lane track, scoreboard and 1,500-seat bleachers; staff said the district’s net cost will be reduced by reimbursements from Recreation & Parks and the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Baltimore City Public Schools facilities staff presented details about the REACH field project at the March 11 board meeting and said construction should be ready for play by September if weather permits.
Cindy Smith, executive director for Facilities Planning and Construction, said the project will build a regulation turf football field, an eight-lane competition track, stadium infrastructure for future lighting, a standard scoreboard, 1,500-seat bleachers with a prefabricated press box, and underground stormwater management systems required by the wet site conditions. Smith said the contract bids exceeded the original budget, and the district solicited an independent field-construction specialist to confirm price reasonableness.
Deputy Chief Financial Officer Maryann Cox explained the funding mechanics: staff requested board approval to transfer $10,667,580 from the district’s unassigned general fund balance to the capital projects fund as a supplemental appropriation. Cox said that figure is the gross transfer and that reimbursements from Baltimore City Recreation & Parks and the Maryland Stadium Authority will lower the district’s ultimate net outlay to about $5 million. The board placed the supplemental appropriation on the consent agenda and later approved it as part of the meeting’s consent vote.
Smith said the project site required substantial underground stormwater work because the field abuts wetlands, and that the budget reflects that work. She told commissioners the project does not include locker rooms or restrooms because available funding did not cover those additions. Smith said the contractor is ready to start and the district’s aim is to have the field playable by September, assuming normal construction-season weather.
Smith also said the project is a three-party partnership: Baltimore City Recreation & Parks will share site use under a full-use agreement, and the Maryland Stadium Authority will contribute funding. Under the planned agreement, Recreation & Parks and the district will share maintenance responsibilities and scheduled hours of use so the field will serve both REACH programs and the wider community.
Ending
District staff said they will coordinate final contract execution, post bid documents to procurement, and record the approved supplemental appropriation in the district’s audited financial statements. Construction timing and reimbursements are subject to contract finalization and weather-related delays.
