College of the Canyons Cougar Stadium will be temporarily closed effective Monday, June 17, as the college embarks on a several-weeks long artificial turf replacement and track resurfacing project.

Originally installed in 2003, Cougar Stadium’s synthetic field turf and running track — which are also utilized by athletic teams from the William S. Hart Union High School District — are now in need of a full replacement.

As a result, the entire stadium and surrounding grounds — including the main field, track area and stadium stairs — will be closed during the removal/installation process, in order to ensure the safety of all students and community members.

Signage notifying the public of the closure has already been posted around Cougar Stadium. During the course of the project only construction personnel and authorized college staff will have access to the stadium.

“As a safety precaution we are asking all students and community members to avoid the Cougar Stadium area of campus, for the duration of the project,” said Will Karrat, COC facilities department project director. “We sincerely appreciate everyone’s cooperation during this time.”

Construction will begin the morning of Monday, June 17, with the field’s turf removal and eventual replacement/restriping slated to take place over the next several weeks. Crews will then move to the track resurfacing and restriping aspect of the project, which is expected to last an additional three to four weeks.

Upon completion, the Cougar Stadium playing surface will be equipped with state-of-the-art FieldTurf “Revolution” Monofilament Turf designed to provide an unparalleled level of player safety. The “Revolution” model turf is the same utilized by Division I schools across the nation, including the University of Texas, University of Missouri and U.S. Naval Academy.

The entire project is currently scheduled for completion before the start of the fall 2013 semester and fall sports seasons.

The college has contracted with the company FieldTurf located in Calhoun, California, to perform all removal/replacement and resurfacing projects. The total cost of the project is approximately $780,000.

However, the agreement with FieldTurf will allow the college to utilize an existing California MultipleAward Schedule (CMAS) contract that the company currently holds, providing a cost savings of nearly $200,000 when compared to current market prices.

More than $600,000 of the funding for this project will be made available through a joint Santa Clarita Community College District/Hart District deferred account set aside for maintenance and replacement (both districts have equally contributed to this fund on an annual basis since the turf was originally installed in 2003).

The remaining project balance will be paid for by the college with Measure M bond funds, which local voters approved in November 2006.