Emerging plans to renovate Concord’s athletic complex at Memorial Field include four new fields, bleachers, parking and a field house, all of which are expected to cost $27 million over two main phases.

Members of the Joint Planning Committee are still tweaking the plans to maximize usage and lower costs, but the officials are urging swift action.

“Deferred maintenance can lead to more significant and expensive repairs in the future, which is why it is crucial to address these issues promptly,” city documents state. “Additionally, having obsolete facilities can result in decreased utilization and diminished customer satisfaction, impacting our overall operations.”

The track is in such poor shape that it will have to be closed for high school use after this spring and fully closed to the public by the end of the fall, according to school board member Barb Higgins and Parks and Recreation Director David Gill. In addition, many fields, particularly on the west and south sides of the park, are experiencing worsening flooding as underground drainage continues to fail.

“We’ve used every penny left of this facility,” Gill said at the committee’s recent meeting, referring to the outdated facilities, particularly the football stands, and their use for graduation and other large events.

Phase 1, which would begin in 2027, would include a new parking area, a new track and field and 750-seat bleachers, drainage improvements and a field house that includes locker rooms, according to the latest conceptual design. The total estimated cost for the phase is $11.7 million, but it will become more accurate as the committee continues to tweak the conceptual design.

The second phase, with a price tag of $13.9 million, would redo most of the other fields and hard court surfaces at the 36-acre facility. That work would begin in 2030 if everything goes according to plan.

Progress toward a final conceptual plan continued smoothly, and although it sent recommendations for conceptual exploration back to the consulting firm, VHB, the members were on the same page about their vision and willingness to work together to improve Memorial Field.

So far, VHB has worked with Huntress Associates Landscape Architects and Planners to come up with the conceptual designs. VHB of Bedford has worked on large projects around the state, such as the Merrimack Outlets, and has worked with Phillips Exeter Academy on transportation, parking and campus planning projects. Huntress specializes in athletic field design and construction, and notably, the restoration of Gill Stadium Baseball Field in Manchester.

At the committee’s most recent meeting on May 20, the discussion revolved around moving the two proposed multi-purpose fields to ensure accessibility and a logistically strategic staging area for construction.

At the previous meeting, the committee also explored parking options and potentially buying state-owned land to accommodate parking to the southwest, closer to the proposed multipurpose fields, and ensuring improved accessibility and traffic flow. Those same discussions were expanded upon, but as they devise a final layout, it is yet to be seen how parking will look by the end.

In the coming months, the committee, comprised of school board and city council members, will present final conceptual designs and move forward with permitting after further discussion with their respective bodies.

The total cost of the project would be split nearly equally between the Concord School District and the city of Concord.

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for June 10 at 5 p.m. at the City Wide Community Center and will be open to the public for input.

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com