City purchases new turf for Pullman Park field
When the recent operating agreement between the City of Butler and Butler Area School District for Historic Pullman Park was in the works, both parties agreed that the park needed sweeping repairs.
City council took the first step toward that goal at their meeting on Thursday, July 24, when a motion to accept a $162,216 bid for the supply and installation of a synthetic turf system passed unanimously.
Replacement of the field’s turf was named among the highest priority projects for both the district and city while agreement negotiations were still ongoing.
Keystone Sports Construction, a company specializing in synthetic turf and COSTARS bidder on the project, is expected to work on the field in August.
“I think this will be the first step to getting things back up to speed here, to get some activity at the ballpark,” Mayor Bob Dandoy said.
Previously, repair costs for the stadium, primarily the turf, were estimated to be around $400,000. While the concept of a discounted rate through the partnership between the two parties was considered a possibility, the city ended up acquiring the bid through COSTARS, the state’s cooperative purchasing program.
While no money was allocated for Pullman Park in the city’s long-range plan for the Butler Area Sewer Authority sale proceeds, members of council expressed confidence that repairs will fit within the budget.
“When you look at the other projects from the long-range plan coming under budget, it’s a nice little bonus,” Councilman Don Shearer said in regards to an approved bid for parking lot improvements that came nearly $350,000 under the expected cost.
After the completion of the turf, Dandoy said the No. 1 priority in terms of repairs is to fix damage to the roof. After that, he said a majority, but not all, of the remaining projects for the park will be primarily cosmetic in nature.
Talks between the district and city began in the fall, when he approached the district with the idea of operating the park. City council approved an agreement in May, and Butler Area’s school board followed suit in early June.
The agreement went into effect on July 1.
