JACKSON – Municipal officials in Jackson have announced that $2.9 million in major upgrades and improvements are underway at the Jackson Justice Complex and at the Holman Athletic Complex.
“Investments in our recreational facilities are investments in our families and in our kids,” Mayor Michael Reina was quoted as saying in a press release. “The Township Council is very pleased to see this work getting underway and we look forward to the completion of all projects over the coming months.”
Removal of existing turf on the various synthetic turf athletic fields at both complexes is underway and will be completed in August, according to the press release.
Site work and the installation of new synthetic turf will progress into the fall, with all work tentatively scheduled to be completed before Thanksgiving, according to the press release.
In an effort to keep residents and all athletic leagues informed and safe, township officials released the following tentative project schedule, which may be impacted by weather and shipment of materials:
• Holman Athletic Complex Multipurpose Field: Turf Removal: completed Aug. 3; Site Work: Aug. 8-19; Turf Install: Aug. 22 through Sept. 9;
• Justice Complex Soccer Field: Turf Removal: Aug. 8-10; Site Work: Aug. 15 through Sept. 9; Turf Install: Sept. 12-30;
• Justice Complex Baseball Field: Turf Removal: Aug. 11-16; Site Work: Aug. 19 through Sept. 23/30; Turf Install: Sept. 26/Oct. 3 through Oct. 14/23;
• Justice Complex Multipurpose Field: Turf Removal: Aug. 17-19; Site Work: Aug. 22 through Oct. 21; Turf Install: Oct. 24 through Nov. 11.
Residents are advised that the site work and the synthetic turf installation at the various fields may overlap during the construction periods noted above. For safety reasons, township officials are asking all residents to avoid these work areas throughout the duration of construction.
At the Jackson Justice Complex, 1 Jackson Drive, new synthetic turf will be installed on two baseball fields, a soccer field and the multipurpose/football field. At the baseball fields at the Justice Complex, new dugout shade canopies will be installed; and protective netting will be installed at the soccer fields and at the football fields.
At the Holman Athletic Complex, 133 Manhattan St., new synthetic turf and a protective netting system behind goal posts will be installed at the multipurpose/football field.
Additional site enhancements will also be made at both locations.
Jackson officials awarded two contracts totaling $2.9 million to complete these major upgrades and additional improvements, according to the press release.
The first contract, in the amount of $2.05 million, was awarded to Shaw Sports Turf of Calhoun, Ga.
To identify and secure qualified turf vendors, municipal officials worked through a state co-op, available to New Jersey municipalities, counties and schools, which consists of state-vetted and state-approved suppliers, according to the press release.
The second contract, for associated site work, in the amount of $842,500, was awarded to LandTek Group Inc. of Bay Shore, N.Y.
With the township overseeing the overall effort, the solicitation and bidding process was managed by T&M Associates, Jackson’s engineering firm of record.
Jackson is more than 100 square miles in size and is home to about 60,000 residents.