Campus Recreation at Yates Field House collected student input at a Nov. 29 event as it continues to finalize details for the upcoming renovations of Yates Field House. The renovations are set to begin February 2019 and finish in August, according to Yates Field House Director Meghan Dimsa (COL ’14).
CRYFH hosted a public commentary session last Thursday, inviting students to discuss the Kehoe Field renovation project and allow members of the Georgetown community to share their thoughts on the ongoing project and the new facilities.
“During the first open house, we invited students to view and provide feedback on turf samples, infill materials and field design,” Dimsa wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The most recent open house was held to display that progress and collect student input on track color selection.”
This event marks the second time students have been invited to offer input on the developing plans for the renovations, after they were able to voice their opinions on turf selections at an event held in April. Dimsa said her department has been working with students to renovate and reopen Kehoe Field.
“We are making significant progress and are excited to bring the students’ ideas and input to fruition,” Dimsa wrote. “We are also thrilled that club and intramural sports will be able to return to practicing and playing right here on campus.”
The field’s problems began in 1979 after it was rebuilt on top of the Yates Field House roof. Because of structural issues, the roof suffered from drainage problems, leading to water collecting on the field, and to the field’s deterioration. The university repaired some damage in 1987 for $1.8 million and again in 2002 for $7 million.
The Kehoe Field closure has forced club and intramural sports to find alternative on-campus practice spaces, such as Cooper Field, according to women’s club ultimate frisbee President Megan Logan (MSB ’19).
“The inability to use Kehoe as another on-campus practice space has been difficult for the team,” Logan wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Cooper is not enough for athletics, club sports and intramurals to share.”
Off-campus fields do not have lights, which restricts practices to the daytime.
“There have been weeks where our team has not been able to practice at all,” Logan wrote.
The lack of practice space and time has impaired the team’s competitiveness, especially in club ultimate frisbee, where many of the new members are still learning the sport, according to Logan.
“The frequent occurrence of off-campus practices has made it challenging to retain players and build our team, because inconsistent practice times and finding off-campus fields can discourage new members,” Logan said.
The Yates Field House renovations come as part of a larger plan to reshape and rebuild elements of Georgetown’s campus. Georgetown already has other construction projects underway across campus, including at Cooper Field and the future MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s Medical/Surgical Pavilion, according to Georgetown’s Master Planning website.
The Cooper Field project will replace the field’s bleachers with a permanent structure to include additional seating, game-day locker rooms, concessions, restrooms and a press box, as well as landscape improvements, according to the website.
Logan wrote she was pleased to hear the university’s renovation timeline, which will have Kehoe Field ready for the next academic year.
“The turnaround time has been relatively quick, especially because when Kehoe was first closed it was unclear how long it would take to be fixed,” Logan wrote. “We hope that the field is actually finished by the projected date so that we will be able to use it for the full year.”
