East Lansing residents Raymond Rahall, left, and Josh Hamilton, right, repair pipes June 6 2014, at Munn Field. Munn Field is one of many areas on construction this summer. Hayden Fennoy/The State News
Construction crews broke ground on the new turfgrass marching band practice field in May and construction will continue through August.
The ongoing project is taking place in the southeast corner of Munn field, which will be home to the Spartan Marching Band beginning in August. The field will also be lined for soccer and intramural sport usage.
With a price tag of about $1.3 million, funding for the construction of the field comes from donors and from the Forest Akers Trust, which gifted the funds to the marching band.
The original field lies adjacent to Demonstration Hall, in which the marching band is based. The current field is grass-only and easily becomes riddled with ankle-endangering divots.
The existing safety concerns were enough to implement the project. The new artificial surface will also be weather resistant.
“We can beat up a grass football field like no other,” director of the Spartan Marching Band, John Madden, previously told the The State News. “If it rains once, the grass doesn’t have a chance.”
A month into the project, construction representative Todd Wilson said production is on schedule. The field is meant to mirror the football field in Spartan Stadium, mimicking the positioning of the field in conjunction with the added factors of sunshine and performance conditions.
The project includes a 32-foot tower which will be used for observation and filming. The new field will also have a fence and bleachers.
“It’s a combination of wanting to be able to exactly mirror the stadium field and address safety concerns,” Wilson said.
The old field will most likely be converted into a green space, Wilson said.
“I’ve heard some talk, but there’s nothing concrete,” he said.
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