HAYWARD — Student athletes at Mt. Eden High School will be soon competing on a new field now that a $12 million spruce-up of its sport facilities is complete.
Along with the refurbished field, the upgrades include a nine-lane track and new bleachers and locker rooms for the campus at 2300 Panama St. There is also a new snack bar.
“We are thrilled to open the new athletic field at Mt. Eden,” said Matt Wayne, superintendent of the Hayward Unified School District. “The athletic field is not just a state of the art facility for Mt. Eden sporting events, but a new space to bring together the community. Students will use the field daily, athletes will compete on it and showcase their skills, the marching band will perform on it, and students, alumni, families and friends can all gather there to celebrate their Monarch and Hayward pride.”
A ribbon-cutting took place Saturday, when teachers, students and others gathered to celebrate under sometimes cloudy and rainy skies. Among those on hand was Mayor Barbara Halliday.
The upgrades at Mt. Eden are the first in a more than $33 million district-wide project that also includes overhauling athletic fields at Hayward and Tennyson high schools.
A dedication of the news sports facilities at Hayward High is planned for April 14, district spokeswoman Dionicia Ramos said. The official opening for Tennyson’s facilities will happen sometime in May.
The work at the three high schools includes new lighting, full sound systems, concession stands, ticket booths and locker rooms. The estimated price tag for each high school field is: $10.79 million for Hayward; $11.55 million for Mt. Eden; and $10.74 million for Tennyson.
That’s about 76.4 percent higher than initial estimates from 2014, which placed costs closer to $18.75 million, or $6.25 million for each field. Charles Roberts, the school district’s chief facilities officer, attributed the increase to rising Bay Area construction costs following the economic recession.
The condition of the sports facilities at the high schools led Tennyson and Mt. Eden football teams to only play home games during daylight hours, while the Hayward Farmers traveled to Sunset Field for both practice and home games.
“The clearest benefits of school-based sports programs are reduced rates of juvenile arrest, school dropouts and teen pregnancies,” said Annette Walker, president of the district’s board of trustees. “When our youth compete in sports they get better grades, graduate at higher rates and have more confidence. The bigger picture is keeping our students physically active for overall health, and sustaining sports programs in our community schools is a high priority.”
About $235,000 in renovations at Sunset Field, including new turf and irrigation systems, were completed in August 2016, which allowed Hayward and Tennyson football teams to play both day and night games there.
The district rented the field at Chabot College for Mt. Eden football home games while crews were working on the campus project.
“From my perspective, the athletic fields at our high schools are a source of pride for both our students and our community,” district Trustee Lisa Brunner said. “I also believe they will serve as a source of inspiration for more students to get involved in high school athletics.”
The upgrades at Mt. Eden are part of 11 school projects funded by Measure L, a $229 million bond measure that voters approved in 2014.
Other proposed projects include three new science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, or STEAM, buildings at Mt. Eden, Tennyson and Hayward high schools, along with a performing arts center at Mt. Eden for all students.
The bond also covers rebuilding, renovating or modernizing Harder, Lorin Eden and Cherryland elementary schools, as well as Winton Middle School.
The work is being done by Sacramento’s Vanir Construction Management, which oversaw past renovation and rebuilding projects at five Hayward schools.
Former staff writer Darin Moriki contributed to this report.