RIDGEFIELD, Wash. — For residents of a part of the Pacific Northwest, the great outdoors will be even greater this fall. That’s when an enormous sports complex opens in Ridgefield, Wash., featuring fields by AstroTurf, the leader in the synthetic turf industry.
The Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex is a 40-acre park with six AstroTurf fields and all will contain a RootZone product. There will be nearly 14 acres of turf onsite. The project is a partnership with the Ridgefield School District and shares a site with the new Sunset Ridge Intermediated School and View Ridge Middle School. Ridgefield, located in southern Washington, is about 25 miles north of Portland, Ore. The suburb of Portland and Vancouver, Wash., has experienced a population surge that highlighted the need for a recreation complex. City officials expect the complex will draw residents from the surrounding area and will also be a hub for regional sports tournaments.
“We selected the AstroTurf RootZone product after an extensive turf selection process and touring several facilities,” said Bryan Kast, city of Ridgefield Public Works director. “We were impressed by the RootZone’s ability to reduce infill spray and migration, which gives a better and safer play experience.”
The RootZone 3D3 Blend is a premium product that combines slit film and monofilament fibers for optimum durability and structural integrity. It is highlighted by AstroTurf’s patented RootZone sub-layer, a texturized fiber that stabilizes infill and improves shock absorbency. The RootZone 3D3 Blended Fiber system is 60 ounces of fiber and has a 10-year warranty backed by annual AstroTurf maintenance plan. The Trionic fibers blend PE and nylon into an ultra-durable fiber that wears up to 50 percent better. This turf system will provide exceptional force reduction to reduce incidence of concussions and cleat interaction that better replicates well-maintained natural grass playing fields to reduce incidence of injuries to lower extremities.
The complex supports baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer and softball. The fields at the north end of the complex are in a baseball stadium capable of holding more than 2,000 spectators. There is also a premier soccer field that does not have permanent lines for other sports. The other fields are multi-purpose and are lined for other sports. There is a track encircling the football field along with trails snaking throughout the complex. A community center, amphitheater and picnic tables round out the project.
After touring fields in Portland, Ridgefield city officials were convinced AstroTurf was the perfect product for the project due to its track record of durability, performance and safety standards.
Their procurement of the brand new fields was made possible by AstroTurf’s association with National IPA. National IPA is the nation’s leading cooperative purchasing organization. They offer a portfolio of competitively solicited contracts that have been awarded based on industry best practices and maximum value. It saves cities like Ridgefield time and money by eliminating the administrative costs and hassles of running competitive solicitations on their own.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s website at www.astroturf.com.