Portland: The Portland Sports Complex and Municipal Park took home an award from Hellas Construction, which presented their Synthetic Turf Council 2018 Sports Project of the Year Award to the City of Portland.
“While this award was unexpected, we are really excited to receive it. It says that our facilities are second to none,” said Portland City Manager Randy Wright. Since January, the city has hosted 24 outside tournaments and more than 800 baseball and softball teams from across the state, he said.
“Combined with football, cross country, and our local league play, over 14,000 kids have used the fields since January,” Wright added. “Portland citizens can be proud that they are owners of facilities that are nationally recognized and sought out by so many.”
The Synthetic Turf Council (STC) awarded Hellas Construction 2018 Project of the Year for its Portland Texas Sports Complex and Municipal Park project earlier this year. It was the first year for the STC Awards, presented during the Annual Spring Membership Meeting held in Rancho Mirage, California. Hellas President & CEO Reed J. Seaton said, “We’re truly honored to receive this award for Project of the Year. We feel the Portland Sports Complex and Municipal Park is a special project.”
The City of Portland project (complex and park) is the biggest organic infill project in the country. The city completely customized it to fit the community’s needs and desires. Each facility is one of a kind in design and layout and is entirely designed by the Hellas Design Build Team. Together, the two facilities are considered the best sports facilities in South Texas based on location, size, use of space, and materials. Hellas is proud to be a part of the Project that has brought the community together in a way that few things can, Seaton said.
“Our Hellas Design Build Group, construction crews, & turf crews all worked diligently on this project, & the results are amazing,” he added. “We want to thank the City of Portland, Texas, for entrusting us with this important project that hundreds and thousands of children will enjoy for years to come.”
In a release statement, City of Portland Sports Director Matt Rogers said, “This year, residents of Portland invested over $17,000,000 to construct two new sports venues for our kids.” Rogers added that not only do kids have premier facilities to play and grow on, but sports tourism is bringing tournament teams from all over Texas to the community.
“Our business community is benefiting from an influx of teams and their families using our restaurants, hotels, and other local retailers,” he said. “Our new venues may well be the best investment we have ever made. Both our kids and our community will reap the benefits for generations to come.”
The STC Awards is a member program designed to honor STC members who help to promote the association’s values and advance the synthetic turf industry. The Project of the Year Award, in the sports project category, was based on project scope and impact on customers and the community.
The awards program received a total of 42 applications; all submissions required photos and videos. Awards categories included Lifetime Achievement, Rookie of the Year, Philanthropy, Innovator, Sustainability, Volunteer of the Year, Sports Project of the Year, and Landscape Project of the Year.
