The City of Calgary broke ground on the construction of a new outdoor artificial turf community field located at the Genesis Centre — the first of its kind in northeast Calgary.
The new artificial turf field will replace the current south natural turf field at the Genesis Centre. The project also includes rehabilitation of the north natural turf field. Together, these fields will extend the playing season and increase accessibility to recreation opportunities for residents across Calgary.
“During the pandemic, we have become more aware of the positive effect that physical wellness has on the mental health of Calgarians,” said Councillor George Chahal, Ward 5. “I am thrilled that those in northeast Calgary will finally have a high-quality multipurpose field in their community. New athletic facilities like this one are an important part of making Calgary an equitable city for all.”
The artificial turf field includes upgraded lighting and will be in use from approximately April to November each year, weather permitting. As a community field, it will be bookable by anyone and stay open for the public when not in use.
A number of other improvements are expected to be incorporated in this project and are in the process of being finalized. This includes a community gathering space for a broad range of ages, from youth to seniors. Public engagement on this space occurred online in the summer of 2020. Calgarians submitted input which was incorporated into the design of the fields and community gathering space. Design of these additional improvements will be available in the coming months on calgary.ca.
“Community is essential to the well-being of Calgarians and the Genesis Centre is an important community-building hub for residents in the northeast,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “This project adds amenities that will better serve the area and helps ensure that the Genesis Centre will continue to be an accessible gathering space for years to come.”
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The fields will be ready for community use in the summer of 2022.
The budget for the project is $6 million, funded in equal parts by The City of Calgary, the Government of Alberta and the Genesis Centre.
