Article code: 31-056
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PanStadia International Quarterly Report: Volume 3 No 1, September 1995.


[TURF TECHNOLOGY & MAINTENANCE]


THE BEAR NECESSITIES


The Spectacor
Management Group
invested over $600,000
on protecting the Chicago
Bears' home field at
Soldier Field.
They have
been ecstatic about
the results.



Spectacor Management Group (SMG) took over the operations of Soldier Field in August 1994. One of the most urgent items on their agenda was to protect the turf used by the NFL american football team, the Chicago Bears.

In previous years the staging of concerts and other events on the field had taken a toll on the turf often rendering the grass almost unplayable. SMG wanted to break the existing yearly cycle of damage. They needed a turf protection system that would enable major events to be staged without damage to the playing surface.

Many different options were available and SMG looked at all of them. In the end they settled for the most expensive system available - a system which cost them $600,000. That system was the Terraplas Turf Protection System. Although it was the most expensive system, it also proved to be the most economical. SMG found their investment to be an excellent choice both physically and financially.

The results of using the Terraplas have been amazing. When normal field coverings had been used previously the turf beneath had been either dead or dying after eight days. Turf protected for a similar length of time by Terraplas remained in a remarkable condition.

The system has also proved to be very durable. A recent Pearl Jam concert saw 15,000 fans either standing or jumping in front of the stage for three hours. The Terraplas provided a tough and safe surface, protecting turf and fans alike.

There have been no losers. The Chicago Bears were pleased, the media was pleased, the Parks District was pleased and SMG were ecstatic.

Now SMG can protect their field and control the maximum use of their facility. It doesn't matter whether it's during the football season or not, the calendar and the weather are no longer a problem. With the Terraplas system in place they now have opportunities to generate previously untapped revenue for the stadium.