The City of Mercer Island invites you to celebrate the grand re-opening of the varsity sports field at Island Crest Park on Wednesday, March 14th, with festivities beginning at 3:30 pm.

Pre-game events will take place from 3:30 to 4:15 pm prior to the MIHS varsity baseball team’s first game on the new field. There will be welcoming remarks from the project leaders at 4 pm. Kids will be allowed to play on the new turf before the team takes the field at 4:15 pm sharp.

According to the City, the 2.4 acre field is now 100% synthetic turf and has new LED efficient lighting and a deluxe scoreboard donated by the Mercer Island Baseball Booster Club. The field contains natural cork infill and a new drainage system, guaranteeing year-around play.

The new field also has a high-performance shock pad beneath the surface of the turf, rather than the granular material typically found between the “grass” fibers, making it more durable for varsity sports.

“This field gets its shock absorption from the high density foam under the turf,” said Parks Superintendent Paul West. “That allows us to use less infill, which means the running surface is more stable and therefore faster.”

The City received over $700,000 in grants and community donations for the Island Crest park renovation project. West said he is looking forward to seeing all the people who made this project possible at the grand re-opening event and that he is proud to be part of such a “game-changing” effort.

“I think the games on this field will be very exciting to watch now because the action will be more dynamic,” he said.
Below are several images shared by Ross Freeman, Sustainability & Communications Manager. Check out the progress and behind-the-scenes footage of the new features at the park.

Island Crest Park is located at 5500 Island Crest Way.
Visit the City’s website for the official event page >>