Construction on Park City School District’s Kearns Boulevard campus has been ongoing since last summer.
The project includes two soccer fields, eight tennis courts and a softball and baseball field where Treasure Mountain Junior High previously stood. The Dozier Football Field west of Park City High School is also getting a revamp with a new track, turf and concessions building.
The softball and baseball fields were originally slated to be completed by October 2025, so athletes could use them this spring. They will be turf fields so the fields can be plowed in the winter.
But Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman said the fields faced construction delays.
“The turf was not laid prior to the weather turning cold, and to lay that turf, you need 24 hours over the course of two to three weeks of 40-degree or higher temperatures,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Thursday.
Then an illegal groundwater dumping incident on Oct. 10 set the project back further. The district lacked the correct permits to discharge groundwater and had to suspend operations.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident and a report is expected near the end of April.
The district and its contractor have since been holding groundwater in approved tanks, but are set to discharge it soon. The contractor now has the correct permit. So, as long as the water tests within state and federal guidelines for contaminated water, it can be discharged into a storm drain or the nearby Silver Creek.
Once the water is gone, Huntsman said turf can be laid. However, it will likely be too late to host softball and baseball games on the new fields.
Huntsman said Dozier field construction has gone much more smoothly.
“It's making significant strides. The team is actively forming and pouring high foundation walls as well as the stairs leading to the home bleachers,” she said.
Park City High’s graduation ceremony is typically on the field. But with construction continuing on the June 5 graduation date, it will be moved to Deer Valley Resort.
“The graduates will start at Silver Lake, hop on the chair lift, and then descend into Snow Park Amphitheater,” Huntsman said. “Very exciting, very Park City-esque, and it's amazing what we can accomplish when our community comes together.”
Huntsman said Dozier field is set to be completed in July. The first few football games will be away games, however, in case of unforeseen delays.
