Spring Break
Buckley set to undergo renovations
Torn and aged turf will be replaced in a $200,000 project which will leave the field closed until Jan. 2005.
Brendan Meighan
Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: News
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"The current surface has exceeded our expectancy and its lifespan," Senior Vice President for Student Life and Administrative Services Anthony Caneris said. "The current surface was installed about 12 years ago when the field was built." The average lifespan for an artificial playing field is eight to 10 years. Buckley Field has been in use for 12 years and has been used year round since it was built. Several tears in the surface have already been sewn and the artificial turf is deteriorating.
Purchase and installation of the new field is expected to cost approximately $200,000. The money for the new field is being covered through the University's budget for facilities maintenance, with most of the money coming from the Commission for Activities and Programs Fund.
Despite the budget problems and recent layoffs of several high ranking members of Drexel's staff, the University insists that the renovations are a priority.
"If the artificial surface was not replaced now, it may not have lasted another season," Caneris said.
There was no word on whether this is part of Drexel University's strategic plan.
Currently, the field is used for a variety of activities including flag football, ultimate frisbee, and lacrosse practice, and is one of the few open spaces left on the Drexel campus. The basketball courts at 33rd and Race streets, once a popular hang out for Drexel students, will remain closed in the near future.
While it is the student body that benefits from the renovation of the field, not all students supported the decision to resurface when the University could be using the $200,000 for other, more academic purposes.
"I'm disappointed that the field will be closed," said Alex Lapinski, a sophomore computer science major, adding "I'm not sure that this should be where our tuition money is going if the budgets are tight."
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