Farmingdale school district voters approve $36M sports complex
A rendering of the proposed sports complex at Weldon E. Howitt Middle School with an aquatic center with competitive and community pools, plus fields and lights for night games. Credit: Farmingdale schools
Residents of the Farmingdale school district voted to pass a $36 million bond to create Long Island’s first community-focused public school sports complex and aquatic center.
Voters cast 1,610 votes for the measure and 1,390 votes against it by the time the polling station closed at 9 p.m., district officials said.
The complex at Weldon E. Howitt Middle School will include competitive and community pools; a competitive track for home events; new synthetic turf for baseball and softball fields; new synthetic turf for the football/soccer/lacrosse field; and stadium lighting for night games and events.
Taxes related directly to district debt service will be reduced by $71 per year from current levels for the average Farmingdale homeowner, school officials said. The proposed savings is based on the project’s timing. The debt on the proposed project will not be incurred until the 2021-22 school year when the district will retire a larger debt, school officials said.
In addition, the district has also planned to partner with the Village of Farmingdale to help revitalize the Farmingdale downtown area — specifically the area adjacent to Conklin Street, officials said.
With Zachary R. Dowdy
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
