Synthetic turf fields open at Sunset Meadows in Arlington Heights

New synthetic turf fields are now open and ready for fall sports at Sunset Meadows in Arlington Heights.

The multimillion-dollar renovation to the park at the corner of Kirchoff and Wilke roads included the additions of a football field and a soccer field.

The fields, which are owned by the Arlington Heights Park District and also used by Arlington Aces soccer teams and the Arlington Cowboys football program, were finished on time and already are being put to good use.

"So far it's been great," said Steve Neill, division manager of recreation facilities for the park district. "We've had a couple of rain days where we would have lost playing time, but we've been able to get the kids back out there and continue."

The fields will last longer and remain usable in any weather compared to the previous grass fields, Neill said. The turf fields also use CoolPlay technology that lowers their surface temperature on hot days much more than traditional sand or rubber materials.

The park district also has installed mesh along Kirchoff Road to protect drivers from wayward balls. When the idea was brought up at an Arlington Heights village board meeting earlier this year, some trustees had concerns about how the netting would look to the neighborhood, but Neill said it hasn't been an issue.

"I think you'll be surprised at how well it blends in. It's very subtle," he said. "You can see it when you look at it, but if you're not looking for it, you're not going to see it."

The synthetic turf project was budgeted to cost $2.5 million, but Neill said so far it has come in under budget at around $2.1 million. The whole project took less than a year, he said.

"It's nice to get it open and get the kids back out there playing," he said. "We're definitely getting a lot more use out of the field."