Field upgrades to close Halifax Wanderers Grounds for summer

Sports teams looking to play on the Halifax Wanderers Grounds this summer will have to move elsewhere as the city looks to revamp the playing field. 

The city put out a tender Thursday for irrigation and turf improvements, including players benches, a new scoreboard, sod and fencing. 

The work on the field nestled between the Public Gardens and Citadel Hill is supposed to begin this spring. The city wants work completed by Sept. 1, said city spokeswoman Tiffany Chase. 

"Certainly the quality of the field at the Wanderers Grounds has been identified as requiring improvements, and so that's why it has been on the list for capital upgrades," she said. 

"The project is slated to move forward this season in 2017, and so we will be looking for those turf improvements, and [to] improve irrigation that should provide a higher quality surface."

In 2015, an international rugby match on the Wanderers Grounds had to be moved to a different field. At that time, the match organizer said there was not enough grass to make it safe for the players after a harsh winter left bare patches of soil. 

The field is often used by football, rugby and ultimate Frisbee teams, which won't be able to book field time during construction. 

"Of course we're going to be losing a good portion of this season because we're going to be having construction underway on that field. So we wanted it to reopen as soon as possible so groups can book that facility," said Chase.