Heralded plan to fix up Lombardi field nixed Developer, township, school board were to share $3M expense BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Aproject that would turn the aging Vince Lombardi Stadium into what some Old Bridge officials called a "field of dreams" stands rejected, but those championing the improvements have not lost hope. "[With the improvements], everyone will have the opportunity to have a game played in a real stadium under the lights, and for anyone who has ever been an athlete, that's a thrill." - Jim Phillips Mayora "It's back to the drawing board to try to find another funding source," Mayor Jim Phillips said. The proposed improvements at the football stadium would have taken place through a shared-services agreement struck between the township and Board of Education. "It's a grand old lady that isn't going to get better," Phillips said of the facility. "It needs some attention now." Impact fee funds allocated for a community or school project by Woodbridge-based Atlantic Realty, the developer of Woodhaven Village, would have provided over $1 million of the estimated $3 million cost for the improvements. The Board of Education would contribute about $1.4 million, according to Board of Education President Frank Piccillo. "It's not going to have any impact on the taxes for all of our citizens," Piccillo said. Township Council members who voted against the project questioned whether using the developer's fund for the improvements was appropriate. Phillips disagreed. "If I was trying to think of a school/community facility, I couldn't think of something that fits that definition better than Lombardi Stadium," Phillips said. "I'm hoping we can all get behind this project and make it move forward quickly." According to Phillips, users of the field are planning an information campaign to inform council members of the need for field improvements, and urge them to support the joint plan. "The one thing that was expressed by all of the council is that there's a dire need to improve Lombardi Stadium," Phillips said. Despite their agreement about the need, some council members said the Board of Education should be responsible for funding work there, according to Phillips. Councilmen Reggie Butler, Richard Greene and Bob Volkert, along with Councilwoman Lucille Panos, voted against the measure. Councilmen Brian Cahill and Kevin Calogera were absent from the meeting. Phillips said he was surprised by Butler's lack of support, as the councilman sat on the Shared Services Committee and had previously expressed his support for the project. Butler was not immediately available for comment at press time. The board's contribution to the project would come from $7.8 million in aid received from the state as part of Gov. Jon Corzine's new school funding plan. The funds are also allowing for a zero-taxincrease budget for the school district, while addressing unmet needs from previous years, according to Piccillo. Two years ago, board Vice President Annette Hopman created the Shared Services Committee, which among other things sought to address much-needed improvements at Lombardi field, Piccillo said. Other board members, along with Superintendent of Schools Simon Bosco and additional school administrators, agreed that the improvements were necessary. Until now, the project was not financially feasible for the district. "[Hopman] has been the driving force behind all of the Lombardi field renovations since she developed the Shared Services Committee," Piccillo said. The stadium was built in the 1970s at what is now Sandburg Middle School, though it is still used by Old Bridge High School, but it has not seen any upgrades over the years. According to Piccillo, with its dire need for improvements, it appears as though it was built in the 1940s. Slated to be done in phases, the first leg of the project would involve resurfacing the natural grass field with synthetic turf, and installing a drainage system; resurfacing the track on the perimeter of the field; and making upgrades to the concession stand. The largest component of the project consists of the field resurfacing, a process to be modeled after improvements made to Rutgers Stadium in 2004. Using Field- Turf, an artificial in-fill that has gained popularity for use in stadiums around the country, much less maintenance of the field surface would be necessary, officials said. In turn, the amount of money funneled into keeping the current grass surface up to par would no longer be an issue. The school district pays well over $75,000 per year to maintain the field as it is, Piccillo said. Labor involved in the process comprises 13 percent of budgeted salaries and overtime for district field men. "We're throwing good money after bad money," Piccillo said. Even with these expenditures, the field is barely kept up to snuff. Drainage problems have not been effectively addressed due to past budgetary constraints. Often soggy and unusable, only four teams are currently able to use the field over the course of the year. "It's in such bad shape, someone is going to get seriously injured," Piccillo said. "Student and citizen safety is a top priority, before anything else." Aside from a lessened chance of injury brought about by the crushed rubber surface, Piccillo pointed out that maintaining it would only present a cost of a few thousand dollars every three to five years - a significant savings from the current situation. The overall expected life span of the FieldTurf ranges between seven and 11 years. District staff would learn about the installation and maintenance of the turf through a course at Rutgers, officials said. Field resurfacing is projected to dramatically increase the facility's use by both district and township sports teams. Now only utilized during 10 months of the year by the school's football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey teams, along with the marching band, the field is not meeting its full potential, according to officials. If improvements to the field are made, it would allow for much more frequent use by a larger number of teams. Community leagues, including PopWarner and others, would also have the ability to practice and play there, officials said. Aside from benefiting the township in that respect, it would also create a new revenue stream through admissions fees, officials said. "A lot of times, our fields are in such a situation that they can't be used, because they get torn up," Phillips said. "[With the improvements], everyone will have the opportunity to have a game played in a real stadium under the lights, and for anyone who has ever been an athlete, that's a thrill." Resurfacing of the track would also benefit both students and residents, according to Piccillo, who runs there himself. Senior citizens and other community members utilize the track for running and walking, along with district teams, he said. "Seventy percent of the fields in the county have brand-new surfaces and a brand-new track, and it's embarrassing, especially when other teams come for games," Piccillo said. With no access to electricity or running water, the existing concession stand is missing out on the opportunity for producing significant revenue, officials said. "The concession stand is antiquated," Piccillo said. The new stand, set to be constructed in an area of the stadium where it will have access to power and water, would enable an expansion of the currently limited menu. Another change would include the installation of deep fryers, so french fries could be offered. The sale of fries has been reported to increase sales at such venues by as much as 40 percent, according to town officials. The larger menu, combined with marketing opportunities for product sponsors and additional patrons anticipated due to a better overall facility, all would make the concession stand improvements a worthwhile endeavor, officials said. Other phases of the project would include the installation of new lighting; replacement of aging wooden bleachers with those of a more durable material, which would meet with currentADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) standards; renovation of the field house to accommodate greater use; upgrade of restrooms to comply withADAregulations; and installation of a new scoreboard. According to both Phillips and Bosco, the improvements would bring an opportunity to attract corporate investors and sponsors to the facility. The stadium's proximity and visibility from Route 9, as well as an expected influx of visitors to the facility as a result of improvements, make it a prime candidate for such sources of revenue, they stated. Under a 20-year general development plan (GDP) approved by the township in the 1980s, Atlantic Realty agreed to contribute $3,000 for each residential unit built as part of their development, Woodhaven Village. Although the developer and township are involved in a legal battle over the builder's original plan, which involved over 2,500 residential units and a million square feet of commercial development, Atlantic Realty has built 300 units of Woodhaven Village. That first phase of the project has yielded $1,089,472.52 in an escrow account for a school or community project to be determined by the council.