Carbon School District outlines planned field house near district office; targets winter 2025 opening

Jared Hanson, facilities and maintenance supervisor for Carbon School District, presented a project update Feb. 24 on a proposed field house to be built on district property near the district office (Fourth North and 200 West, across from Mount Harmon).

Hanson said the single-story metal building with a mezzanine will contain a two-lane track around a turf practice area intended for softball, baseball and soccer practices; multiple court layouts for basketball, pickleball and volleyball; retractable batting cages; storage rooms; and space planned for golf simulators on an upper mezzanine. Hanson said the turf area and interior court markings are intended for practice use rather than formal competition; there will be no fan bleachers or competition-level viewing areas.

Hanson told commissioners the site uses the nearby sledding hill as engineered fill and that geotechnical work has been completed. He said the district expects most users to be students and that scheduling and reservations will be managed by the district athletic director; priority access will be given to school teams. The facility is currently intended for district use rather than general public rental, though Hanson said staff-level access for early mornings or special circumstances could occur.

On construction timing, Hanson said the district is targeting a build window between November and December 2025 so the facility will be available in January when winter practice restrictions lift. Funding will come primarily from district savings; Hanson said the district plans to seek a low-interest loan rather than exhaust reserves. He noted the district considered an air-supported "bubble" and a sprung-frame structure but selected a metal building for greater long-term durability, lower maintenance risk and better ventilation options.

Commissioners asked about parking, bus staging, restrooms, showers and climate control. Hanson said the site has large parking areas adjacent to the district office, restrooms will be provided, showers are not planned as a primary feature and the building will include heat but not full air conditioning; large roll-up doors, ventilation and ceiling fans will provide summer airflow. Hanson also discussed planned netting around field and court areas, restricted access procedures, storage-room counts (about a dozen individual spaces) and the potential for signage or artwork on an exterior wall.

Hanson said scheduling software and day-to-day facility management will be handled by the athletic director and that further design details and any public release of plans are being coordinated by district staff.