Fix in works for Slammers stadium erosion

Joliet will spend $64,100 to fix an erosion problem that could damage the new artificial turf at DuPage Medical Group Field.

“Dirt is running onto the turf and is causing problems,” Councilman Pat Mudron, chairman of the Stadium Committee, told the City Council this week.

The council approved a contract with P.T. Ferro Construction to create a drain system designed to prevent soil from running off the sloping lawn seating areas onto the artificial turf.

“The existence of topsoil leads to the growth of weeds through the turf, which in turn damages the turf to the point where replacement is the only option,” states a staff memo on the contract proposal.

Soil has been running onto the turf during normal rains, according to the memo.

P.T. Ferro will install a system consisting of two parallel drainpipes in the lawn seating areas along the left-field and right-field lines. The system will be used to capture water runoff and avert soil erosion.

The installation of artificial turf was the main feature of a $1.6 million stadium-improvement project in 2018.

The city, which owns the stadium, replaced the grass field that had been there since the stadium opened in 2002. The goal was to provide a more durable surface that could be used for more events and a variety of sports.

Mudron said that the Slammers, the baseball team that plays at DuPage Medical Group Field and manages the stadium, has a full schedule of activities lined up for the stadium in the coming year, including soccer games and T-ball baseball.