Long Island Ducks could get new turf field at Suffolk stadium
An empty Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip plays host to an exhibition game between the Long Island Ducks and visiting Long Island Black Sox on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. The Ducks hope fans will return after the Atlantic League canceled its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: James Escher
Suffolk County wants to borrow $2.5 million to fund a new turf field and other improvements at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, home of the Long Island Ducks baseball team.
The county legislature will be asked during its Sept. 4 meeting to approve funding for the project, one of the more expensive undertaken by the county since the Central Islip ballpark was built in 2000. Paying back the debt on the work is expected to cost the average taxpayer 57 cents in its first year, according to backup material filed with the county legislature. Major improvements at the over 6,000-seat county-owned minor league ballpark are the county's responsibility, while the team typically funds routine maintenance under a 10-year agreement.
Ducks and county officials said a turf field will be cheaper and easier to maintain than grass, although they did not immediately provide the amount of savings.
"There are many benefits to turf, including lower maintenance costs, eliminating the use of chemicals, and less water usage," Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, whose administration is requesting the upgrade, said in a statement. "Turf also has a longer life span than grass which decreases the need for costly repairs. Replacing the field with turf is a smart move that is more environmentally and fiscally sound."
Once the project is completed, Ducks president and chief business officer Michael Pfaff said, the Ducks will be the eighth out of 10 teams in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball to convert to a turf field. The minor league is not associated with Major League Baseball, where just five of 30 stadiums are turf.
"The Capital Improvements being undertaken are part of the ongoing effort by the County of Suffolk to update County buildings while keeping Fairfield Properties Ballpark operating at the highest professional level in partnership with the Long Island Ducks," Pfaff said in a statement. "The new turf field will improve efficiency greatly, save thousands of gallons of water per year, and be more environmentally friendly, eliminating the need for fertilizer and chemicals on the playing surface in future seasons."
The grass field was previously replaced in 2008 and 2016, according to the Ducks website.
Other planned updates include a new fire alarm control panel and replacing an emergency generator and an elevator.
The county legislature last year approved $800,000 in spending for concrete work and other improvements as well as $400,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace the scoreboard.
To offset the ballfield's cost, Fairfield Properties pays the county $430,000 annually under its naming rights agreement, $225,000 of which is earmarked for basic infrastructure improvements, according to county spokesman Mike Martino. The Ducks also contribute $225,000 per year.
Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.
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