Here’s a fresh look at the new Centralia College multisport athletics complex at the corner of Iron Street and Centralia College Boulevard. “The sports complex, which will include fields for baseball, softball, and soccer, will use modern turf composed of grass-like fibers supported by soft, tiny balls of cork or other material that works like dirt to hold each blade aloft,” according to the college. “The turf is porous, allowing rain to flow straight through into a drainage system. There’s no need to wait for the field to dry out to play ... The new fields will encourage more athletic participation and enhance Centralia College’s recruiting power. The college plans to add a men’s soccer team once the field is completed. It already fields teams for women’s soccer, baseball and softball. Those teams currently play on shared community fields in Centralia.” The college broke ground on the field in spring 2022. The college has been planning for this addition since 1999, when it started buying up the 40-some lots needed for the complex. Students have contributed more than $3 million toward the project through student fees.
