Final phase of Gordie Howe Park renovations to start this spring

The project to fix up the old Gordie Howe Bowl remains on track.

Renamed the Saskatoon Minor Football Field at Gordon Howe Park, the facility has seen steady improvements over the last few years.
 
The work has been co-ordinated by the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, which has raised $8.5 million for the renovations, according to a report presented to the city’s planning committee.
 
The city of Saskatoon has contributed $2.795 million, bringing the foundations campaign to its $11 million goal.
 
The improvements have been split into three phases. New artificial turf was brought in to replace the old grass field during phase one, which also saw the installation of a new scoreboard, lights and sound system.
 
The report noted the new turf has allowed the field to be booked for just over 1000 hours in 2015. That’s up from about 125 hours in the last year of the old grass field.
 
Phase two has seen a new clubhouse facility built at the stadium. The donor who helped make the clubhouse possible requested that it be named the Gordie Howe Sports Centre.
 
The report stated that construction of phase three, a new plaza and ticket booth, will begin this spring.
 
Once that final phase wraps up, the Friends of the Bowl will present the city with options on how to use any money left over from the fundraising campaign to further improve the facility.