Tolland Awarded $500,000 STEAP Grant for Artificial Turf at THS

Tolland has received a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Grant from the state to fund the design and installation of artificial turf on the THS athletic field, according to a press release from the governor's office.

"The support from the state is going to allow us to renovate the athletic stadium to benefit not only the sports teams, but the whole community," said THS boys soccer coach Jim Leahy, who is leading the effort to put new turf and lights at the school.

Leahy estimates that the project will cost between $800,000 and $1 million to complete. Funding for the project is coming from the $500,000 STEAP grant, and .

Leahy said that the town's athletic clubs will be fundraising to fully pay back the Town of Tolland for the bonds.

He added that the renovated field will open up revenue possibilties such as hosting night games for fooball, soccer and lacrosse. According to Leahy, the Tolland Athletic Foundation may also consider reopening its golf tournament on the field. 

And as the field is more widely utilized, Leahy hopes that opportunities for signage by local business will become available.

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He said that it is not possible to provide estimates of potential revenue from the field at this time.

According to the press release, the high school field was closed for several years due to the difficulty of maintaining a safe, high-quality surface.

For more information on the plan to modify the athletic field, check out Tolland Patch's article on the project's history.