(Updated at 4:00 p.m.) The 10-year-old synthetic turf field at Washington-Lee High School is worn beyond repair and needs to be replaced, according to Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
The field has been subject to heavy, year-round use by students, recreational sports leagues and in pickup games for a decade, according to a staff report. This Saturday, the Arlington County Board will vote on a contract to replace the field for $609,000, the final piece of the $1.6 million project.
If the contract is approved, the current synthetic turf field will be torn up starting the week of June 7, and construction would wrap up by the first week of August, just in time for the Generals’ sports teams to begin preseason practice.
The project will consist of tearing up the existing turf, but preserving the drainage system underneath. Staff said the existing turf surface and rubber layer will be recycled “to the greatest extent possible.”