Lewis-Clark State College can begin planning for artificial turf at Harris Field after approval from the Idaho State Board of Education.
The board met Wednesday and Thursday at LCSC’s Williams Conference Center and authorized the college to move into the project’s planning and design phase. Harris Field currently has natural grass and serves as the home field for the LCSC baseball team and the NAIA World Series.
LCSC has budgeted $160,000 for planning and design. The college is working with an engineering firm on a geotechnical study to determine what subgrade work would be needed before turf could be installed.
Chris Jones said artificial turf costs less to maintain than grass and can make the field available more often during inclement weather. Jim Klemann said artificial turf generally lasts 10 to 15 years.
The installation is estimated to cost $2.6 million and would be paid for with donated dollars. No state-appropriated money would be used. LCSC must return to the State Board of Education for approval before installation can proceed.
Other Board Actions
The board also authorized the University of Idaho to begin designing a proposed 5,200-square-foot Teaching and Learning Center at the McCall Field Campus. The facility would include teaching spaces and faculty offices for the College of Natural Resources and the McCall Outdoor Science School.
The campus currently includes a one-room classroom dating to the 1960s. Planning and design for the proposed center is expected to cost $580,000.
The board extended the contracts of LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton and Idaho State University President Robert Wagner through June 2028.