Construction at Burrell Field – visitor bleachers going up.
Construction continues at Pacific Sports Complex and Burrell Field at an amazing pace. In a few short months the City of San Leandro will have a first class sports facility, one of the finest and most versatile public sports complexes and play grounds in East Bay. This grand accomplishment, in a time of eroding civic and economic confidence, is the result of the will and resolve of the community.
By the end of this year, few will remember the events leading up to the rebuild of this iconic facility. Pacific High was built in 1963. Thirty years ago the School District sold the High School to developers, but retained 13 acres of sports fields (now know as Burrell Field and The Pacific Sports Complex). The sale of the school still evokes angry emotions from residences, and any attempt to sell the remaining sports fields were overwhelming rejected by the public.
Burrell Field became the home field for the San Leandro High School Pirates. The Pacific Sports Complex became, with over 15,000 users in the eight months before construction, the most used City managed sports field. Last May, the beloved but worn out old sports complex was torn down. The new facility will faithfully serve the needs of future generations of San Leandrans.
The credit for this Grand Accomplishment goes to the citizens of San Leandro, the San Leandro Unified School District and the City of San Leandro. The Citizens , with great foresight, and 64% of the vote, overwhelmingly approved Measure M, the school bond to rebuild Burrell Field and physical education sites around the Districts. The School District Board of Trustee with a giant leap of faith, placed Measure M on the ballot in a time of economic uncertainty, and worked hand in hand with the City of San Leandro to design the sports facility to accommodate the recreation needs of the City. This unique collaboration between School District and City provides an example worthy of all communities.
The challenge of maintaining the new facility must be resolved. Historically, the City has managed and maintained the Pacific Sports Complex, and the School District maintained Burrell Field. This partnership is a win-win for both entities, and we urge the City to continue this unique collaboration.
When the new Pacific Sports Complex opens this summer it marks one more step towards San Leandro’s goal of becoming a World Class City. I hope that you will be the first to walk, run and/or play on the new fields and track. It takes more then lip service to become a World Class city, you’ve got to walk the walk, and the new facility deserves our whole hearted (another fitness pun) support.
