The need for athletic fields in Bridgeport and throughout the region isn’t something new. The development of new facilities to meet those needs, however, has been something new.

 

The majority of those new fields locally, if not all, are situated at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex. Four baseball fields along with a multi-use field for soccer, flag football and other events have been utilized throughout the warm weather months for the past several years.

 

Yet, even with those additions the need for more fields remain. The good news is that there are a few more fields on the way. And once again, they will be situated at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex.

 

“We’re in the process of developing the northern land bay at the Rec Complex,” said Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Joe Shuttleworth. “A lot of what’s taking place is the result of top soil that was acquired from West Virginia University last year.”

 

WVU provided the top soil for free as the contractor doing work laser grading various Bridgeport athletic fields was also doing work for the university. Part of that work by Plain Surface Solutions out of Pennsylvania was the removal of the soil from WVU football’s practice field.

 

Instead of paying a heavy price for quality soil needed for the fields currently seeing a start, all Bridgeport had to do was pay for the transport of the dirt. Now, thanks to that quality soil, things are getting started. (Click HERE for that story from September 2015).

 

While the serious labor started in recent weeks, planning for what would be going in place at the undeveloped portion of the facility has been going in for some time. In late spring and early summer parks officials looked at the land and determined what could best meet the community needs with the land available.

 

“Since then, we’ve brought in a contractor that took the sandy mix of soil from the Mountaineer Practice Field and put it on top of the area where the playing surface is and where a crown to the field was formed,” said Shuttleworth. “This was done to help with drainage.”

 

So what happens when the work is done? According to Shuttleworth, the plan is to develop the main area into a flat soccer and football style of facility as the main component. The good news is that there is room to develop a couple of soon-to-be heavily needed youth athletic facilities.

 

“The lay of the land itself will allow us, if necessary and feasible, to develop a couple of small baseball fields that could possibly serve as ones to replace the fields that will be lost when work  begins on the new Johnson Elementary,”  said Shuttleworth. “These will be more catered toward a t-ball style of field with shared green space in the outfield of the soccer and football field; very similar to what’s at the Johnson site right now.”

 

Shuttleworth said overuse of the “outfield” area if the baseball fields are developed shouldn’t be a concern. He said there isn’t usually a ton of activity in the outfield as it relates to t-ball.

 

That begs the question as to when the project will be done. Shuttleworth pointed to weather and making sure the playing surface is ready to play on before it’s opened up for use.

 

“Ideally, we will have it ready for the spring. Worst case scenario is that it would be ready next fall (of 2017),” he said.

 

Weather has been an issue already. Several extended periods of rain, as well as the occasional summer downpour has interrupted the process of both the contractor work and the current work by Parks and Recreation staff. Weather also interrupted the installation of the irrigation system, but the new sprinkler system that will control the moisture on the future playing surfaces is in place.

 

“We’ve had to put the brakes on work for this project a few times, but that’s okay because you want this done correctly,” said Shuttleworth.

 

Currently, various rocks that are near the surface – some forced up by the rain – are being removed. Some of the work is being done manually, a rented piece of equipment known as a rock hound, or a skid steer, will be used over the entire surface.

 

“That will go in and get the rocks removed as we’re making the steps needed to prepare the area for the seed bed,” said Shuttleworth. “If you’ve been up at the complex you’ve probably seen our tractor doing landscaping work to get the site ready. We’ll be putting down see with starter fertilizer to get the growth process moving.”

 

Whether the prep work provides a faster time for actual play on the field remains to be seen. Too many variables – again the most notable being weather – come into play. Once it is ready, the hope is that plenty of more people will come into play.

 

 “This ties in with long-term goals in the area as we move forward with the indoor complex and the property surrounding it that may include another outdoor green space for potentially another soccer field,” said Shuttleworth. “You could begin hosting certain age group soccer tournament and marketing the complex for that. The goal is to use the complex to serve our own community and to bring visitors in as well.”

 

While baseball tournament are a constant at the complex, Shuttleworth said once land is available for additional soccer fields a format similar to what’s done with baseball could be in place. He said many of the baseball tournaments utilize other venues in combination with the fields at the Recreation Complex.

 

“You could use the entire inventory of fields in the area. We have the existing field at the Rec Complex, the one that will be in place because of this project and the field at (Bridgeport) City Park.  You couple that with the field at the high school, which has worked with us on many tournaments in the past, you can market a large tournament in a small geographical area,” said Shuttleworth. “The potential is there on so many fronts and this project is a big step toward getting there.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Joe Shuttleworth pointing out the area where the work is being done at the Recreation Complex, while bottom two  photos show Parks and Recreation staff getting the area ready.