Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George Track and Field Club is pleased with this week’s infusion of a quarter of a million dollars toward upgrades at Masich Place Stadium, but the club is still concerned that the delay in overall funding has set back much needed maintenance for yet another year.

On Wednesday, Northern Development InitiativeTrust presented the City with a $250,000 grant toward the overall $3.45 million cost of upgrades at the facilitiy.  The NDIT money is being used for a new synthetic turf infield, redevelopment of the throw and jump areas and a new perimeter path.

Club President Brian Martinson says “We are supportive of the City’s efforts to garner funding for the proposed multi-million dollar enhancement but while we wait the track continues to deteriorate.  The club has been raising concerns about the state of the infield and track for more than five years and yet we are still in a holding pattern.”

Regular re-surfacing of such tracks is usually scheduled every ten years and it is now getting closer to twenty years since Masich Place Stadium was last resurfaced.

“If the City is successful in receiving additional funds for the project we also see a need to engage users before a final design is completed to ensure the investment enhances all aspects of the facility and doesn’t result in benefits to one organization at the expense of another,” says Martinson.

A decision on the City’s $3,200,000 request to the Union of BC Municipalities Federal Gas Tax Strategic Priorities Fund to cover the remainder of the stadium upgrades is expected to be issued later this year.