After two years of waiting, something is finally happening at Broyles field. The ground is being flattened and leveled. Concrete is being laid down in a square surrounding the field. Mounds of gravel are being flattened to cover the field. Bulldozers are out in action. Why?

Vice President of Finance and Operations Toni Boyd says that some of the seemingly odd construction choices are due to the way the field will be rebuilt. “Right now, the construction that you’re seeing is us laying down the infrastructure for drainage, and the field will end up being an artificial turf field.”

Before the construction, Broyles was a multipurpose, integral part of the Westminster campus. Middle School lacrosse practice used to be hosted on the field, and community gathering events like the Pigskin Picnic or field day were hosted on the field. Once the Blake Center construction began, however, Broyles field became the headquarters for construction. Administration took this as an opportunity to turn Broyles into an artificial turf field.

Westminster made this design choice to allow athletics to get access to the field faster after a big storm. While the field isn’t large enough for athletics to play games on, it is usable as a practice field. Broyles also makes for an excellent gathering place, and administration plans to host events there in the future.

Boyd hopes the field will be usable before the next school year. “Our plan right now is to get Broyles completed and open before the end of school.”

Update 4/13: A new photo was added to this story as workers began laying turf on the gravel surface.