By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
The new track for the Ray Beaupre Field at North Attleborough High School is open to the public, but plans for a new concession stand are in doubt.
At the Nov. 7 meeting of the School Committee, Superintendent John Antonucci said a final layer for the track has yet to be completed, though it has been striped and can be safely used. Antonucci said that as fall approached, there wasn’t a long enough period of time when the weather allowed it to be safely installed. The final layer will be red.
“The final red layer is very temperature and moisture-sensitive,” he said. “As we get into October, we never had a stretch where we could put this down without compromising it.”
Antonucci added that the track has been striped and would be used for spring sports, with the final layer added after the season had ended. He said he had been to the field recently to view the boys soccer game and that it was good to see it back in action.
“It’s ready to use, completely ready,” he said. “It’s ready for the community to use.”
The new bleachers have been significantly delayed due to material shortages and shipping delays. The work is set to be completed at the end of December and will include new retaining walls for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The third phase—replacement of the concession stands and bathrooms—is causing some concern even in the early stages. Antonucci said the project will go out to bid in December, but the market is unstable and may go over budget. He plans to continue with the bidding process. He said that if the bids don’t match with the budget, that part of the project may go back to the drawing board.
“Until we actually get the bid, we won’t know the true market,” Antonucci said.
Originally, the plan was to rebuild the bleachers and track. In 2021, Antonucci reviewed the project and discovered a lack of consideration regarding plumbing codes, the concession stands at the site, storage concerns, and ADA compliance.
As such, in April of that year, a master plan was constructed by Nersa Engineering, which focused on track replacement, bleacher replacement, a press box and lift addition, toilets, lavatories, and fencing. This raised the cost of the project from $1.8 million already allocated to $5 million.
