Manheim Central School District Athletic Field Improvements

JMT created a sports field master plan for Manheim Central School District that would meet their needs moving into the future. We worked with the administration, athletic department, and coaches throughout the master planning process.

To create the master plan, we reviewed multiple locations where the district had their existing sports facilities, including the high school, middle school, Doe Run Elementary School, and Veterans Memorial Park. We also analyzed a vacant parcel of land owned by the district to determine its suitability for sports fields. We looked at existing field use and conditions, existing infrastructure and access to utilities, community group interests and field uses, and the field and facility needs of the district. This was a multi-year effort as we worked with the district and community to determine their needs.

Using the data we collected, we ultimately developed a master plan that involved relocating the varsity and JV softball fields from Veterans Memorial Park to Graybill Fields at Doe Run Elementary School, as well as building a new parking area to accommodate these fields; developing new sports facilities at the district’s middle school and converting its existing varsity baseball field to synthetic turf; and reorganizing some of the district’s other existing fields.

JMT implemented the master plan and provided landscape architecture, civil engineering, architectural, structural, and MEP design services, as well as construction administration services.

Because the work involved two different locations within the school district, we had to prepare two sets of plans to be reviewed and approved by the local municipality and county conservation district. Once approvals were received, we bid the project as a single multi-prime contract project to reduce the number of contracts and contractors and increase coordination efficiency.

At the district’s middle school, the project team constructed a new multi-purpose stadium with a synthetic turf surface that features multiple game lines to accommodate soccer, field hockey, and practice football. The stadium also features a 700-seat grandstand and press box, a new scoreboard, a new perimeter fence, ballstopper netting, new field lighting, and a new fieldhouse that contains public restrooms, concessions, a training room, and a storage room.

The middle school also had an existing varsity baseball field, which we converted to a synthetic turf surface with game lines in the outfield for soccer and field hockey. This allowed the school district the most flexibility–when the field isn’t being used for baseball, it can be used for PE class, as well as middle and high school soccer and field hockey, and it can be rented out to local organizations year-round for tournaments and other events.

The baseball field also received new perimeter fencing, bullpens for the home and visiting teams, a new batting cage, a new scoreboard, and a new field lighting system.

At Doe Run Elementary School’s Graybill Fields the project included the design of a new varsity softball field with a natural grass surface, home and visiting team bullpens, a batting cage, dugouts, perimeter fencing, scoreboard, grandstands with seating for 300 spectators, and field lighting. The JV softball field was also relocated to Graybill fields; this field has many of the same features as the varsity field and can seat 150 spectators. The project team also created a new parking area and access drive to accommodate traffic visiting the new fields.

All four fields constructed during this project incorporated a new field lighting system featuring entertainment technology that creates special effect show lighting that can be used for player introductions, big plays, or post-game celebrations. This technology uses colored luminaires for added visual impact and can synchronize with music for an enhanced audiovisual experience for the players and spectators.

Below the surface, we incorporated stormwater management facilities–under the middle school’s fields and the elementary school’s new parking area–to store, manage, and release rainwater back into the existing drainage network.

This project builds on an existing relationship with Manheim Central School District. Mark has provided design services for the district’s sports facilities since 2005. Other projects have included a new synthetic turf surface at Rettew Stadium, which serves as the district’s main football stadium, new tennis courts, new outdoor basketball courts, new playgrounds, a new running track surface, and the design of five new natural grass fields and a fieldhouse.