HELLAS GETS THE BIG ONE – FORT BEND ISD TAPS HELLAS FOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES UPGRADE

SUGAR LAND, TX (Mar 1, 2020) – Fort Bend Independent School District has selected Hellas Construction to perform what may be the largest single sports construction and surfacing contract in the history of the United States. Austin-based Hellas Construction will build and install eleven new football fields and thirteen running tracks throughout the district under one contract, totaling more than $31,000,000.00. The renovations kick off this spring and will run through the fall of 2021.

Funding for these major upgrades to the district’s athletic facilities was made possible by a $900 million bond passed by Fort Bend ISD voters in November of 2018. It’s all part of a large-scale infrastructure improvement plan for the eighth-largest district in the state of Texas.

“We are eager to partner with Hellas Construction for this massive investment in Fort Bend ISD’s athletic facilities. Hellas was a great fit for the scope of our project,” stated Rodney Chant, Athletic Director for Fort Bend ISD. “Being able to partner with a one-stop shop like Hellas is a win-win for us. Their proven ability to handle all phases of a comprehensive facilities overhaul like this one, while delivering tailor-made-sports surfacing solutions for both turf and track, will benefit the entire District.”

Hellas is the nation’s largest sports surfacing contractor and is able to staff more than 125 projects at a given time using its own employees and equipment. Hellas is vertically integrated, manufacturing its own synthetic turf and running track system components, which allows the company to deliver high-caliber athletic facilities across the country.

“It is exciting to see Fort Bend ISD and voters make such an incredible investment in their students and community. Hellas is eager to turn that dream into a reality,” says Hellas Construction President and CEO Reed J. Seaton.

Mercer Stadium, one of the district’s featured football stadiums, will have its existing synthetic turf replaced with Fusion® Turf by Hellas. This durable system combines dual-colored slit film fibers with dual-colored monofilament fibers for a unique blend that looks like freshly mowed grass. With REALFILL® infill, Hellas’ blend of patented pea gravel (US Patent #6,800,339) and cuboidal rubber granules, the new multi-use field will offer exceptional performance.

The ten remaining football fields slated for new turf will have Velocity® Synthetic Turf installed. This synthetic turf system utilizes dual-color slit film fibers and REALFILL™ infill to give these football fields a new surface that can hold up to heavy usage with low maintenance requirements.

The thirteen tracks throughout the district will be resurfaced with epiQ Tracks® paved-in-place running tracks by Hellas. Hellas manufactures its own environmentally friendly, non-petroleum-based polyurethane for use in the epiQ Track line in its Liberty Hill, TX plant, Hellas Polymers. The project will be divided into three construction phases, with all turf and track installations slated for completion by the fall of 2021.

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