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USL Hartford Athletic

Turf to be Installed at Dillon Stadium

November 19, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


(Hartford) - On Monday, Governor Malloy, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Jay Williams of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving joined Connecticut's new professional soccer club - Hartford Athletic - and its owners Bruce Mandell, Joe Calafiore, and Scott Schooley to celebrate the revitalization of historic Dillon Stadium.

"This has been an amazing team effort and a best practice public-private partnership that will continue the economic and cultural momentum we have in Hartford," said Bruce Mandell, Chairman & CEO of Hartford Athletic. "Today represents another major milestone in our effort to restore this iconic venue for the youth, community groups, and key stakeholders in the Coltsville neighborhood and throughout Connecticut. We are one step closer to our inaugural season in 2019 and bringing professional soccer to Connecticut."

The City, the State, the CRDA, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, through its new initiative HFPG Impact! Greater Hartford, and Hartford Athletic have all come together to make this project a reality as economic transformation continues to take place in Hartford. In addition to the $10 million in Neighborhood Funds authorized by the State Bond Commission for the Dillon Stadium-Colt Park redevelopment project, Hartford Athletic ($1.5mm), the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving ($1.7mm), and the Department of Economic and Community Development ($800k) have stepped up to contribute up to $4 million to deliver a stadium that meets USL requirements and makes Hartford proud.

"Over the last eight years my administration has made significant investments in the city of Hartford, and this is yet another transformational project that will benefit the entire capital region," said Governor Dannel P. Malloy. "In this case, we are revitalizing an important city landmark, bringing a new professional sports franchise to the region, and connecting Coltsville to Hartford's downtown core. Most importantly, we are doing it with a true public-private partnership. I have no doubt that the revitalization of Dillon Stadium will usher in a new sense of pride and community to Hartford."

With installation underway by FieldTurf USA, another major milestone has been reached. The state-of-the-art turf system will feature an organic infill surface that will be FIFA and World Rugby-certified meaning Dillon will be the first field to feature organic infill and achieve both prestigious certifications in North America. The field will provide a playing surface that will serve the highest level of professional soccer while allowing for increased community use.

"HFPG Impact! Greater Hartford is committed to investing in projects that generate significant community benefit and further key development opportunities in the region. We believe the community fields at Dillon Stadium and Colt Park project will ensure priority, inclusive access for Hartford residents to new, quality, safe recreation space in the city, and we look forward to finalizing an agreement to that end," said Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams.

"The renovation of Dillon Stadium represents the latest big step forward in revitalizing the Coltsville neighborhood and building a vibrant Capital City," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "Working in partnership with the State, the Hartford Foundation, and Hartford Sports Group, we're not only preserving a piece of Hartford history - we're bringing Dillon Stadium back to life as a community asset, a home to professional soccer, and a driver of economic activity for the City of Hartford."

For updates and more information as Hartford Athletic prepares for its inaugural season please go to HartfordAthletic.com. Fans interested in priority access to season tickets should place their deposit now at HartfordAthletic.com/tickets.

FACTS ABOUT THE SYNTHETIC FIELDTURF FIELD

The durable synthetic FieldTurf field is composed of tufted, slit-film and monofilament polyethylene fibers. The infill will be composed of a mixture of silica sand and FieldTurf's organic mixture of coconut husks and cork, PureGeo. The field has a manufacturer's warranty to cover 10 years of use. The FieldTurf is installed over a Brock USA PowerBase YSR shock attenuation pad. The shock pad will be in place through multiple turf installations and has shock attenuation - GMax and Head Impact Criteria (HIC) guarantees for 25 years - ensuring the safest possible field for a generation of players.

The presence of the shock pad and the organic infill mean the field will be safer and cooler than traditional crumb-rubber fields and engineered to host all stadium events, especially professional soccer. It will be the first field with organic infill to receive certification from both FIFA's Quality Turf Program and World Rugby's Player Welfare - Artificial Turf Program in North America.

Manufacturer & Installer: FieldTurf USA (Calhoun, Georgia)

Shock Attenuation Pad: Brock USA (Boulder, Colorado)

Basework: Liberty Landscape, LLC (South Windsor, Connecticut)

Synthetic Turf Consultant: Anthony DiCicco (Wethersfield, Connecticut)

Design: Odell (Charlotte, North Carolina) & JCJ Architecture (Hartford, Connecticut)

Civil Engineering: Freeman Companies (Hartford, Connecticut)

Construction Manager: Newfield Construction (Hartford, Connecticut)

Project Oversight: CRDA & Kaestle Boos Associates (New Britain, Connecticut)

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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