Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is looking to replace the natural turf at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium at the Sportsplex with synthetic turf including a subsurface drainage system for $1.4 million

The council will meet Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.

“The athletic field at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium is in need of a major renovation to prevent becoming unplayable from inclement weather patterns during athletic events and competitions,” a memo from Parks and Recreation Director Grant states. “Adding a subsurface drainage system and replacing the playing surface is the recommended course of action. Due to the amount of play, the field receives from youth recreation football, middle school, junior varsity, and varsity school football, junior varsity and varsity soccer, recreation flag football, and other events, we recommend that the field be converted to a synthetic turf playing surface.”

The benefits, Brown stated in his memo, include:

•  Increased durability and longevity: Synthetic turf fields are designed to withstand  heavy use without showing the wear and tear that natural grass often exhibits.
•   Enhanced playability and consistency: Synthetic turf provides a consistently smooth playing surface, regardless of weather conditions.
•  Greater usage flexibility: Synthetic turf fields can be used continuously throughout the year with little downtime.
• Reduced maintenance costs: Maintaining a natural grass field requires continuous upkeep, including mowing, watering, fertilizing, and pest control. In contrast, synthetic turf reduces these recurring costs.
• Eco-friendly options: Many synthetic turf systems are now made from recycled materials and are recyclable at the end of their life cycle, aligning with our environmentally conscious practices and further supporting our sustainability efforts.

To get the project started, the council will consider a contract with McKee and Associates Architects for project design, preparation of bid specifications, assistance with bid award construction oversight, including weekly inspections, final inspection, closeout documentation, and one-year warranty inspection, for $76,700. A second contract with Sawgrass Consulting will pay for a topographic survey of the field, track, stands and existing drainage infrastructure for $9,000.

During the work session, the council will also discuss:

• Signing a contract with Convergint for an updated access control refresh and upgrade project to “unify how we manage access into and throughout our city facilities.” The contract costs $120,000 and includes hardware, installation, system programming, user training and a one-year warranty on all parts and labor.”
• Approving a public assembly permit for Big Beach Marathon for a Safari 7K and family fun run on Jan. 25 at Lake Shelby and a half-marathon and marathon on Jan. 26 with the start/finish line at the Hangout.
• Approving a public assembly permit for the Sea Turtle Half Marathon and Sweet Heart 5K on Feb. 15 at the Hangout.