By Bob Vosseller – May 23, 2022jerseyshoreonline.com
Township officials announced plans for $2.9 million in major upgrades and improvements for athletic fields located at both the Jackson Justice Complex and the Holman Athletic Complex.
The project will start with the removal of existing turf fields in June. Work is expected to be concluded by the end of the summer, officials said.
The Jackson Justice Complex is located at 1 Jackson Drive and will have new synthetic turf installed on two baseball fields, a soccer field and the multipurpose / football field.
At the baseball fields located at the Justice Complex grounds, new dugout shade canopies will be installed, while protective netting will be installed at both the soccer and football fields.
The Holman Athletic Complex, located at 133 Manhattan Street, will have new synthetic turf and a protective netting system behind goal posts installed at the multipurpose football field.
Several additional site enhancements – such as repairs or improvements to fencing, field stone, regrading, concrete sidewalks, cleaning of the existing drainage infrastructure and the installation of new storage sheds – will also be made at both locations, officials said.
Project work schedules have been coordinated to coincide with the end of certain sports seasons, while other sports activities that typically take place at Justice and Holman during the early summer will be held at other locations.
Jackson Township awarded two separate contracts, totaling $2,898,413, to complete these major upgrades and additional improvements. The first contract, in the amount of $2,055,913, was awarded to Shaw Sports Turf of Calhoun, Georgia.
In order to identify and secure well-qualified turf vendors, the township worked through a state co-op, available to New Jersey municipalities, counties and schools, which consists of state-vetted and state approved suppliers.
The second contract for associated site work, in the amount of $842,500, was awarded to LandTek Group, Inc. of Bay Shore, New York.
With the township overseeing the overall effort, the solicitation and bidding process was managed by T&M Associates, the township’s engineering firm of record.
Mayor Michael Reina said, “investments in our recreational facilities are investments in our families and in our kids. Here in Jackson, our sports complexes are very important to us. This is where we come together, as a community, to enjoy sports, competition and exercise.”
“It’s here, on these fields, where we build a stronger, happier, safer and healthier community. These are just some of the reasons why investing in our children is so important to the township council and I,” the mayor added.