RVC, Molloy Announce $6 Million Sports Proposal

The village has announced a proposed agreement with to upgrade four existing athletic fields with synthetic turf and to create one new one, providing multi-purpose playing fields for soccer, baseball, softball, field hockey and lacrosse.

According to the proposal, Molloy would pay the full $6 million cost of the upgrades at the , Lister Field and Centennial Park in return for gaining home fields for its softball, field hockey and baseball teams.

In making this announcement, Mayor Francis Murray said the proposal is still subject to legislative review.

“When this agreement is completed, it will be a win-win for Molloy and for the residents of Rockville Centre,” Murray said. “Our local sports organizations are gaining first-class, synthetic surface fields where now they have many fields in terrible condition. Rockville Centre’s fields are going from worst to first, all at no cost to the taxpayers."

The proposal calls for the creation of three multiple use, synthetic turf fields meeting National Collegiate Athletic Association standards for field hockey, baseball and softball, and at the same time expanding the number of fields available to Rockville Centre’s sports organizations.

The Rockville Centre Soccer Club will be able to use three new synthetic turf fields, two new natural turf fields and two new practice fields, one synthetic turf and one natural.

“We are excited to have these village athletic fields developed to a level that reflects the outstanding quality of our athletic programs,” said Soccer Club President Patti Leboff.

The Rockville Centre Little League will also be able to play and practice on four new synthetic turf fields and on three new tee-ball fields, two synthetic turf and one on clay.

"This is an ambitious plan based upon a unique opportunity to significantly improve our fields,” said Little League President Tom Bucaria.

Under the proposal, Klein Field at the Skelos Sports Complex will gain the NCAA regulation women’s softball field with a clay infield and a fenced, synthetic turf outfield, with room left for a tee-ball field that can also be used for practice.

Lister Field on Sunrise Highway will have the synthetic turf NCAA regulation field hockey venue that will have multi-purpose markings: the new field can accommodate three youth soccer games at once, or two Little League games, or two tee-ball games or lacrosse.

Further south at Centennial Park, the current Barasch/Pette fields will be turned into the fenced, synthetic turf NCAA baseball field. When not in use for baseball, the field, which will measure 330 feet down the left and right field lines and 400 feet in center, can also accommodate a large soccer/lacrosse practice field.

Across South Park Avenue, the current Ketler/Bligh fields will be combined into a fenced baseball field with a synthetic turf infield and either 75-feet or 90-feet base paths. The field, whose outfield fence measures 290 feet, 360 feet and 260 feet, left to right, can also accommodate two youth soccer fields.

Further south, the Village’s former debris holding site will become a large, natural turf practice field.

According to the proposal, Molloy would use the NCAA fields during their respective seasons for games and practice. Molloy has home games in the three sports during parts of April, May, August, September, October and November. The village estimates that Molloy would occupy the fields about 20 percent of the available time.