Kentucky Wesleyan, Owensboro Public Schools and Owensboro Health track project complete

The $2.6 million project was a partnership between OPS, Kentucky Wesleyan College and Owensboro Health, according to OPS spokesman Dave Kirk.

Kirk said Wednesday the new press box includes restrooms and concessions. Also new is the actual turf field that will serve as a soccer and football field for the middle schools and the track around the field that has been built to host regional and state events.

The turf field will be cheaper in the long run, Kirk said, because it won’t require the same kind of regular maintenance as a grass field.

Players won’t have to purchase special footwear, as the same kind of cleats can be worn on the turf field, and when soccer and football games occur, a special mat will be rolled out to protect the track surrounding the field.

The lighting has also been replaced with more “directional lights,” Kirk said, that will enable them to light up the stadium and not the neighborhood.

“This should just keep light here in this area, which hopefully will keep neighbors happy, because it won’t get light into their houses,” he said.

KWC will also be using the track, and it has been built to accommodate NCAA meets as well, Kirk said.

Rob Mallory, the KWC athletic director, said the college was interested in being a partner on the project because the school’s officials “believe strongly in these types of community partnerships.”

“This is certainly a project that will benefit the Owensboro community,” Mallory said. “And it allows us to provide a state-of-the-art facility for our track and field programs to utilize for practice and competition.”

He said there is also an opportunity for the college to use the facility in other ways because of its proximity to the KWC campus.