CVUSD, HARD Team Up on $14M Canyon Sports Fields Makeover

Members of the Castro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees and Hayward Area Recreation and Park District are teaming up to improve the sports fields at Canyon Middle School with lights, synthetic turf, and other enhancements to make them suitable for year-round use.

Gopher holes, patchy grass, inadequate lighting, and out-of-date concession stands may be a thing of the past thanks to a more than $14 million investment to spruce up Canyon Middle School sports fields. 

The agreement between the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) Board and the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Board was approved by both entities at their general meetings on November 7th and 9th, respectively.   

The agreement outlines that the CVUSD and HARD will jointly fund the design and construction of improvements. CVUSD said it will fund $4,845,290 for the projects, and HARD will fund $10,000,000.

"By working together our agencies will be able to construct and operate a new complex that meets the high demand for sports facilities in our Districts," said HARD General Manager James Wheeler. "This lighted, all-weather facility will allow for safe, equitable, quality sports programming for the community and the region on a year-round basis." 

The improvements will include the installation of four synthetic turf fields used for soccer and flag football and two waterproof covers one for the baseball field and one for the softball field. The makeover also includes the installation of field lighting, parking lot improvements, and joint use of the existing concession building and restrooms. CVUSD will handle the administration of all construction-related contracts, with HARD agreeing to pay its proportionate share of project costs.

"This agreement is a remarkable example of agencies collaborating to serve the public good," said Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi. "Ultimately, the significant improvements to the fields at Canyon Middle School will benefit students for generations and the public, who have access to state-of-the-art fields and facilities during non-school hours."

The two sides agreed to a 20-year commitment to maintain the upgrades after the improvements are operational. CVUSD and HARD said they will be required to gather funding to keep the fields safe and usable between the years 2032 and 2042 when the agreement ends.