After 10 years of being run, played and sprinted on by athletic Oak Parkers and school children, the South Field at Lake and Scoville owned by Oak Park and River Forest High School will be replaced in 2013.
The artificial turn was installed in 2002 and has outlived its expected lifespan of 8 years, said Robert Zummallen, OPRF’s director of buildings and grounds. The field turf was somewhat high-tech when it went in a decade ago but there are even better surfaces now, said Zummallen.
The field will be resurfaced this summer and certain sections repaired, but in summer 2013 the entire turf will be replaced with a more grassy-like synthetic surface. Instead of a carpet-like turf, it’ll have individual strands of synthetic monofilament, Zummallen said. The surface is used in commercial landscaping, pro sport stadiums, golf courses, school playgrounds and even some residential properties.
The District 200 school board is scheduled to vote on the new turf on May 24. Zummallen presented his recommendation to the board on May 8. He said the cost of the new turf has yet to be determined.
In related news, OPRF is also waiting to hear back from its consultant concerning what to do about the school’s old and outdated swimming pools. Stantec, a Canadian-based company the school board hired in April, is studying the east and west pools before making a recommendation to the school.
