Youth sports field complex opening events set Saturday

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

The new softball and soccer complex the town of Malta built at the Luther Forest Technology Campus, partially paid for by GlobalFoundries, will be dedicated Saturday.

Malta Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Ball said 800 to 1,000 people are expected to attend a short youth parade at the Luther Forest Athletic Fields complex, which is located on Rocket Way, just east of the entrance roundabout for GlobalFoundries.

“The kids are really excited for the opening of these fields,” Ball told the Town Board this week.

The fields are opening this spring after nearly two years of construction and waiting for grass to be ready. There will be a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday at which officials from Malta, Stillwater and GlobalFoundries will speak.

When it broke ground for its Fab 8 plant in 2009, the computer chipmaker contributed $1 million toward the cost of the ball field complex.

The payment was part of a community benefit package negotiated by the town, given on condition the fields also be open to Stillwater residents and employees of GlobalFoundries.

The total cost of the athletic field project is about $1.7 million, with Malta town recreation fees paying for the balance of the costs. What’s being dedicated Saturday is the first phase of what could grow into a much larger athletic complex if demand justifies it, town officials have said.

The complex includes two softball fields and four fields for either soccer or rugby. A non-profit organization, the Malta Athletic Association, will handle day-to-day management of the complex for the town.

Construction work started in mid-2011 at the site, which is on part of 34 wooded acres donated to the town as part of the deal to approve high-tech development zoning for the Luther Forest Technology Campus in 2004.

Before the Luther Forest site was identified, Malta officials had spent several years trying to find a property large enough for an athletic field complex similar in scope to Clifton Commons in Clifton Park or Gavin Park in Wilton.

On Saturday, a short parade from Rocket Way into the athletic field complex is scheduled for 9 a.m., to be followed by a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. The first games on the new playing fields are scheduled for 11 a.m. There will also be food, music and children’s activities.