Soggy playing fields at Governors Park to get $965k drainage upgrade
Step on Governors Park’s athletic fields after rain, and you know the problem: squishy turf, slow recovery, and soggy cleats.
Charleston leaders said that’s about to change.
The City of Charleston officially approved a construction contract for $885,373 for a drainage improvement project at Governors Park on Daniel Island. The work will be handled by Carolina Green Corp., and it is funded entirely through the city’s General Fund Reserves. The entire project is expected to cost $965,000.
The repairs will focus on improving the park’s nine acres of multipurpose fields that are weekly filled with adults and children playing soccer, football, and other outdoor sports during the day and night.
“The installation of lights on the soccer fields extended playable hours, but it also reduced the time fields have to recover, especially in wet seasons,” said Bay Sheehan, communications coordinator for the city. “Adding the underground drainage will allow for quicker recovery of the fields, which will allow a quicker turnaround for getting the players back on the field.”
The project will install an underground system of perforated collector pipes beneath the turf, designed to pull water away more efficiently instead of letting it linger. Think of it as giving the fields a fast-track exit for rainwater.
The work will also include irrigation repairs and sediment control measures to not only help the fields dry faster but stay healthier over time.
Construction is expected to kick off in June, with a 90-day timeline aiming for completion by the end of August.
“This will not impact sports until summer,” Sheehan said, noting that the current winter and spring games and practices will proceed as planned. While the work is underground, the result will be visible in the form of firmer, drier, more playable fields.
“Better drainage on the fields will allow for play to occur where before we were waiting longer for the fields to recover and dry,” Sheehan said.