Keeping Ground
April 22, 2008
By Erica Metzler
The Daily
SEATTLE - There is a lot of work that must be done in order to maintain the athletic facilities at the University of Washington.
The UW receives a budget of $2.5 million to maintain the buildings, and the staff works really hard to keep the facilities looking good. In addition, the amount of garbage load has decreased and the amount of recyclables has increased every year.
"We are really trying to reduce the impact we are making on society," Larry White said. "I am very pleased with my staff. They are very willing to go the extra distance."
White, who is in his sixth year as the facilities manager for the athletic department said, "Every day we are cleaning, painting, cutting the grass and fertilizing."
Twenty-two people work full-time in 13 buildings or fields in the sports complex, he said.
These employees work around the clock to make sure that the athletic facilities are in top shape.
According to White, some custodians come in at 4 a.m. with the last one getting off at 10:30 p.m. The grounds crew comes in at 7 a.m. and gets off at 3:30 p.m. unless there is an event. Utility workers start at 6 a.m., and depending on the event, are in the building for a full 24 hours. The painters work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year. Depending on the season, White will bring in temporary workers to supplement the crew.
The facilities are in good condition considering how old they are. Husky Stadium is 88 years old, but White and his crew are able to maintain it to a level where games can be played. White thinks it's the hardest facility to maintain partly because of its age and partly because of its size.
"It's not the newest stadium out there but it's a good venue," he said.
Six to 12 temporary painters are brought in during the summer to repaint the stadium. The lower 30,000 seats out of 72,000 are wood and repainted every year. As soon as commencement is finished, the crew spends the next 10 weeks washing everything from top to bottom.
In addition, other facilities have been renovated over the years.
Hec Ed Pavilion was remodeled eight years ago. Taking into account how many events go on and how much use it gets, a lot of hard work is done in order to maintain it. The Conibear Shellhouse was remodeled in the spring of 2005, Dempsey Indoor was built from the ground up in September 2001, the softball facility is 11 years old and the Nordstrom Tennis Complex is 20-plus years old.
"We are slowly either remodeling or rebuilding," White said.
According to Scott Baebler, assistant athletic director for events and facilities, the soccer facility is in good condition but they are trying to do a major renovation.
"It needs to be redone because it was built on the Montlake Landfill," he said. "It's not smooth and flat all the way across, but the grass and the shape it's in is excellent for this time of year. It's what's underneath that we need to address and that will take place probably a year from now."
Baebler also says they are trying to address the baseball field as well.
"From the fences in, the field itself is a fantastic field and we maintain it well. It's the outside that need to be redone because everything is temporary," he said.
