Will the Boros write checks for Gonkplex? Proposed Gonkplex awaits community approval

ELLIE O’CONNOR NEWS EDITOR

With a cracked and crumbling track, muddy fields, spotty lighting and stands that not all fans can access, while Algonquin has a proud athletic tradition, many coaches and athletes dream of facilities they can be proud of, too.

A highly anticipated $7.5 million proposal for an outdoor athletic complex renovation, nicknamed the “Gonkplex,” seeks to bring sweeping changes to Algonquin athletics.

Approval for funding of the Gonkplex project’s construction will be determined this spring after votes at Northborough and Southborough town meetings. If the project passes in both towns, construction could begin at the end of this school year.

The Athletic Complex Project Committee began its early planning stages in the spring of 2022 after ten years of community discussion of updated facilities, including a turf field. The committee is currently working towards receiving funding approval from the towns of Northborough (approximately $4.7 million) and Southborough (approximately $2.8 million) in order to begin construction. Most elements of the current complex are aging or have already surpassed their expected lifespans. Additionally, the stadium’s spectator stands are not handicap accessible.

“Our facility has served us really well, and we got a lot of really great usage out of it, and we have a lot of great memories as a result of the service it provided,” Principal Sean Bevan said. “But it’s at the end of its useful life, and so now we want to make sure we have an athletic complex that meets our high standards and the needs of our students; that’s both for our athletics program students, but also our physical education classes and for community members.”

The Proposal

Algonquin students and members of the Northborough-Southborough communities have long anticipated changes to the athletic complex. A Track and Turf Committee composed of coaches and community members was established in 2013, but the discussion had been shelved until recently. The current Athletic Complex Project Committee first announced their Gonkplex proposal at the Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee open meeting on April 12, 2022.

A brand new track, two turf fields, bleachers, lights, tennis courts, pickleball and basketball courts, arts pavilion and lacrosse wall along with a new press box and concession building are predicted to cost $7.5 million with construction to begin during spring of 2023 at the earliest.

One of the major components of the Gonkplex includes the addition of two new turf fields. The Richard Walsh Varsity Field in the stadium and the JV practice field were first installed in the ‘70s, and are set to be replaced.

“There are a lot of opportunities we are missing out on,” instructional support aid and football coach Jon Cahill said. “We have to be careful with grass fields, and I would like to see all of the teams uti- lizing the facilities with the fields, as it is beneficial to us.”

Grass fields require certain upkeep with lawn-mowing and resting the field, which is when the grass and dirt needs time to regenerate between usage. The annual cost to maintain the grass fields is $90,000. The committee estimates it will cost $1015 thousand a year to maintain the turf fields.

Some Algonquin teams, such as girls’ varsity field hockey, drive to nearby turf fields for their every-