Bronxville School administrators, local elected officials and members of the community were on hand before the homecoming football game last week, to showcase the new field that almost didn’t come to fruition.
Since 2007, Bronxville has endured nearly $30 million in damages during major storms due to period flooding in the Midland Valley Drainage Basin, which led to a flood mitigation plan that included the restoration of Hayes Field, which now contains a large network of underground pipes that would detain floodwater and prevent it from backing up into the school.
A community vote on the field initially failed by 18 votes before a revised plan was overwhelmingly passed by voters.
The new field features a synthetic turf surface and organic infill composed of coconut and cork. Other amenities at the refurbished Hayes Field include a new scoreboard, bleachers, retaining wall and protective netting.
Officials said that the new field will allow the athletic department more flexibility when planning scheduling, which has been problematic in the past.
“This field is truly a community effort,” Bronxville Athletic Director Karen Peterson said. “It will be enjoyed by students and community members alike for many years.”
Bronxville High School senior Caroline Kirby, who serves as a co-president of the school’s Athletic Council, said that Hayes Field will soon be a hub of the school community.
“The new field will be extremely valuable for the Bronxville community,” she said. “Our town has so many sports teams that want to have practice and game times, and in the past, there have been difficulties with scheduling enough space for all - especially during rainy weather. Now, with a regulation-sized field that can be used for soccer, field hockey and lacrosse games, and practice for all sports, everyone will have a chance to play.”
The original Hayes Field Project began two decades ago as a joint venture between the Board of Education and the Bronxville School Foundation, which raised the money for renovations. The field was then named in honor of Hedwig Hayes, a member of the community that donated to the project.
“Her bequest specified that it be sued to ‘touch the lives of as many students as possible,’” Peterson said. “This new facility funded through the district sits on the site of the original Hayes Field and was built in the same spirit of serving as many students and community members as possible.”
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