BRUNSWICK, Maine - Bowdoin College has announced plans to address long-needed improvements to its existing outdoor facilities at the Pickard Field athletic complex. These improvements, which are subject to development review and approval by local and state permitting authorities, include:

• the relocation and reorientation of the baseball, softball, rugby, and practice fields;
• upgrading of baseball, softball, and one multiuse field to synthetic turf playing surfaces;
• the addition of dark-sky-compliant LED sports lighting and the replacement of existing outdated lighting at Howard F. Ryan Field;
• new backstops, dugouts, synthetic turf bullpens and batting cages, press boxes, a storage shed, fencing, scoreboards, and seating; and
• the construction of a restroom facility.

Site improvements also include construction of ADA-compliant pedestrian walkways and seating, landscaping, and substantial upgrading of the existing storm water treatment associated with the development.

There will be tree removal to accommodate the reorientation and reconfiguration of the baseball and softball fields. Trees will also be removed along the southern side of the existing field hockey and lacrosse field to accommodate the multiuse turf field and improve access to Ryan Field in the early spring. There will be no disturbance within the existing 125-foot vegetated setbacks along the eastern and southern boundaries of the lot.
 
The concept of the site design is to work within much of the existing development footprint and to reconfigure, resurface, and add better low-impact lighting to these outdoor facilities to achieve conditions that allow the fields to be playable when needed.

Conversion from grass to synthetic turf will allow Bowdoin facilities staff to remove snow and ice to accommodate practice and games during the spring semester while also providing a safe and consistent playing surface.

Lighting of the fields with state-of-the-art dark-sky-compliant technology will resolve a longstanding issue for students who have conflicting afternoon class/lab and game day/practice schedules. During the spring and fall sports seasons, sunset occurs between 5:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., and some students are in classes until 4:10 p.m. or in labs that run until 5:00 p.m. The current lack of lighting means that these students cannot participate fully in games that must be scheduled to start between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., especially early in the spring and late in the fall seasons. The lack of lighting also forces practices indoors, where scheduling conflicts for Farley Field House result in late practices that conclude at 11:00 p.m. The addition of dark-sky-compliant lighting will make it possible to start games and practices later in the afternoon or early evening with illumination focused strictly on the fields. It will also reduce the College's dependence on the use of portable diesel-operated light towers on the fields. The planned conversion of the existing sports lighting at Ryan Field to dark-sky-compliant technology will greatly improve existing light spillover to adjacent areas. All the new lighting will be able to be controlled remotely to ensure that lights are used only when needed.

New accessible bleachers and restrooms will accommodate spectators. Consistent with the College's Path to a Fossil Fuel-Free Campus, the restroom structure will include insulation greater than what the adopted energy code requires, energy recovery ventilation, and the use of electric heat.

With regulatory approval, the College anticipates the renovations will be completed within the 2023 calendar year.