Spartanburg High athletic facility upgrades advancing

The Spartanburg High School Vikings and the District 7 community will have access to new, upgraded athletic facilities by this time next year.

The district recently entered phase two of its athletic facility improvements, slated for completion in May. The $3.4 million project, funded with general obligation bonds to be paid off in about two years' time, includes two new multipurpose fields, professional landscaping, six new tennis courts and an athletic corridor.

Demolition is currently under way around and behind the district office on Dupre Drive. Trees have been removed in advance of fresh landscaping, and crews are in the process of tearing out the old tennis courts and baseball and softball fields.

As part of an agreement with the city, the SHS baseball and softball teams will be playing at Duncan Park. And until the new tennis courts are installed, the district is encouraging the public to use Duncan Park's newly refurbished courts.

Currently, SHS's three football and four soccer teams share one field, and in the fall, two new lacrosse teams will be added to the mix. The field's turf is full of divots and bare spots because of overuse.

The two new multipurpose fields, plus a new field across Dupre Drive from SHS that's set to be complete in late September, will help cut down on the wear and tear, not to mention scheduling conflicts.

"Those two additional fields, plus the pit field across the street, will give us the option to spread out a little bit so we're not right under each other's feet," said SHS Athletic Director Myles Wilson.

Wilson also complimented the plans for "Viking Boulevard," which will be constructed as a straight connector between the tennis courts, fields and SHS. The corridor will feature team banners and athletic logos.

The tennis courts will be surfaced with a hard coating embedded with rubber. The subtle give is easier on players' ankles and knees, Wilson explained. Also, a unique scoreboard system will allow all matches to be scored simultaneously. Bleachers and an observation deck are also part of the plans.

"We think it's going to be just an asset and a gem to the community," said Bruce Whelchel, District 7 assistant superintendent for finance and operations. "Our girls tennis team is one of our more successful programs, and we're glad to showcase tennis."

To tie everything together, the district enlisted well-known landscape architectural firm Innocenti & Webel, which is responsible for the landscaping looks at Spartanburg Methodist College, Wofford College and Milliken & Co.'s headquarters.

"We plan to have more trees and bushes than when we started this project, but they'll be designed to look professionally landscaped - something the community can be really proud of," Whelchel said.

Phase three of the athletic update, which will include an upgraded football field and new walking track, will begin next April.