One of the more historic athletic facilities in Maine is receiving an upgrade.
Bowdoin College’s Whittier Field, which was built in 1896, will undergo $8 million in renovations, the Brunswick institution announced on Monday.
The Magee-Samuelson track, named partially in recognition of Olympic and Boston Marathon champion and Bowdoin alumnae Joan Benoit Samuelson, will also undergo a renovation.
The initial $4.5 million phase of the project will start in May, which includes installing an artificial turf football field and adding lights, seating and a new press box.
The track will also be expanded to eight lanes, which will allow Bowdoin to host championship meets.
The project includes a restoration of the original footprint of Hubbard Grandstand via the removal of bleachers that were added over the years to the perimeter of the structure.
“We are tremendously grateful to our donors, without whom this needed upgrade and renovation would not be possible,” said Bowdoin President Clayton Rose in a news release. “These iconic venues are steeped in athletic history, where sports fans from the college and Brunswick communities have gathered for generations to cheer on the Polar Bears.
“We have a responsibility to preserve this treasured legacy while also ensuring that the field, track and related facilities continue to serve the needs of our athletes and athletic programs well into the 21st century.”
Bowdoin officials are hoping the first phase of the project will be wrapped up by mid-September to enable the school’s football team to play at the facility this fall.
The second phase, which will cost $3.5 million, will include construction of a one-story support building that will house locker rooms, training facilities, equipment rooms and public restrooms.
If Bowdoin trustees approve the project in May, that phase should be completed by the fall of 2018.
The funding for the project was made possible via private donations from several individuals.
The complex was a training site for legendary distance runners Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine and other American track athletes prior to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The addition of the support building also will allow Bowdoin’s football and men’s lacrosse teams to practice at Whittier Field.