Annie Wright Plans Enhanced Facilities for Sports and Play

Annie Wright has exciting plans to enhance our athletic facilities, including adding an additional gym and converting our current field to an all-weather turf field. These improvements will address our Board of Trustees' strategic priority to improve our athletics program and will also provide more and better opportunities to engage in healthy, active play.
 
 
ATHLETIC FACILITIES FAQs
 
What are we building?
Plans include a high school regulation-sized synthetic turf soccer field to replace the current field and an additional gym.
 
Why?
  • Physical activity stimulates learning and is an essential part of an Annie Wright education.
  • The Board of Trustees mandated these essential improvements to bring our athletic facilities and play spaces up to the caliber of our other facilities.
  • We need more flexible spaces for kids to play and do sports year-round.
  • All of our students deserve to play on a great field at their own school.
  • Turf fields are standard in Tacoma’s public schools.
 
Who will benefit from these facilities?
Every one of our nearly 500 students will use these new facilities. Seven Annie Wright soccer teams will use the field regularly.
 
Where are we in the permitting process?
Annie Wright submitted a permit application to the city to build these facilities. The school is now voluntarily revising its application to address neighbor concerns about lighting. The revisions may include provisions to limit height, intensity and duration of lighting.
 
What about health concerns over turf?
Volumes of research from the country’s top universities, as well as federal and state governments, conclude that synthetic turf poses no health risks. Even so, the school will practice due diligence to choose a vendor with the highest environmental and health standards.
 
When will building begin?
The current plan is to break ground in 2016.
 
How will this project affect parking?
During the construction process, some disruption is inevitable, and we appreciate that parking for community facilities in an urban environment can be challenging. Through the permitting process, regular updates and strong communication with neighbors, we will do our best to preempt or minimize potential problems.
 
Who can answer questions about the project?
Director of Finance & Operations Mary Sigmen is the project manager and Head of Schools Christian Sullivan, who has been working with the architects and the city, is the official press contact. Both would be happy to provide details about the project.
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