Artificial turf to be installed at Centennial Stadium

Centennial Stadium in Kitchener is seen on Thursday, May 29, 2014. (Brian Dunseith / CTV Kitchener)

Change is in the air at Centennial Stadium.

One year after the facility’s grandstand was taken down, plans are now in motion to replace its field.

Work is expected to begin next spring to tear up the existing grass field and replace it with artificial turf.

Greg Hummel, Kitchener’s manager of parks, says the synthetic field will be usable from March until early December – meaning a lot more hours of activity than the 450 it currently sees.

“We’ll be able to program closer to 2,000 hours of use in a season,” he said Thursday night during a public meeting about the project.

“It gives us so much more programmable time and use for the community.”

In addition to the longer season, the turf is expected to allow the city to save on its maintenance bill, which currently sits at about $30,000 per year for the grass field.

The city has already approved funding for the project, which is expected to cost between $1.2 million and $1.5 million.

Centennial Stadium was built at the site of The Aud in 1967 to mark the 100th anniversary of Canada’s founding, but fell into disrepair as time went on.

After sitting condemned for several years, the stadium’s grandstand was taken down in 2013.

Temporary bleachers have since been moved in, with a capacity of about 750 people.