Blakeslee Stadium Field Renovation
Mankato, MN | Sports + Recreation
Overview
ISG designed the renovation of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Blakeslee Field, which had undergone considerable wear and tear due to high demand.
Opportunity
Blakeslee Field, home of the Minnesota State University Maverick football team, sees a lot of action. That high level of use meant that the field was in need of a full renovation.
Solution
As home to a Division II football team and the former site of the Minnesota Vikings training camp, Blakeslee Stadium at Minnesota State University, Mankato, needed a field renovation to ensure athlete safety and a clean image for the football program’s facilities. During the predesign phase, ISG worked with the University to consider both synthetic and natural turf options. The University decided to construct a natural turf option due to its lower initial construction cost, estimated at about half the synthetic turf option.
The field underwent a complete restoration, as ISG designed new subsurface drainage, filter aggregate, root zone soil mixture, and turf. The team also implemented new irrigation piping as part of this project. Construction for this project was put on a tight deadline due to the late-July start for the Vikings’ training camp. However, with strategic planning and coordination with all parties, the project timelines were met and the resulting field was a success.