Construction workers have begun laying down a synthetic turf for Montgomery College’s new Soccer Field Complex, said the project’s senior architect on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

“The soccer field project is probably my largest project,” said Yuling Mei, the senior architect in charge. The completion of the Soccer Field Complex is expected for Spring 2020, and there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony towards the end of the spring semester to mark the facility’s grand opening.

The project comes as student athletes voiced their concerns to President Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard of Montgomery College, during a President’s Listening Tour. Pollard then set the plan in motion and introduced it to her fellow board members and obtained their approval in February.

There will be a grandstand with a press box, a concession building, and LED lighting to minimize energy consumption. A storm water management system will sit underneath the turf to capture, hold, filter rainfall and channel it back into the city’s water management system, said Yuling Mei.

The field will follow NCAA regulations, which would allow for the college to host out-of-state soccer teams and championship matches. Mei said, ”If you are meeting the 4-year institution requirements, then you are also meeting the 2-year requirements.”

The complex will also be environmentally sustainable as Montgomery College seeks all its future infrastructure to be composed of renewable material. From the non-toxic sand to reduce turf overheating to the recyclable steel being used, the Soccer Field Complex will follow the modern-era model for green building called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

“From designers down to contractors to manufacturers, a lot of people are embracing this system called LEED,” Mei said. She added that the construction team has already experienced delays with damages to material while shipping, and heavy rainfall. In order to adjust to time lost, the team will work during weekends. Winter is fast approaching and the construction workers are racing to add the roofs and walls to avoid future delays or damages due to weather.