Construction has started on a new sports field at Edmonds Community College. The multi-use turf field will replace the college’s existing grass baseball field.

It’s a long-planned project that was put off due to lack of funding. A student fee of $1.50 per credit will pay for the $2.5 million field.

Currently, the college’s soccer and softball teams have to practice off campus. On rainy days, the baseball team has resorted to vacuums and sponges to keep the soaked field usable.

“Now that this project is happening, it will be a big draw for recruiting that we have one of the best fields throughout the league,” said baseball coach Brad Ditter.

It will be used for intramural activities, sports teams (baseball, softball and soccer), physical education classes, and will also be available for community rentals. The design includes press boxes, a ticket booth and bleachers.

“We’ll go from having no soccer field on campus to having the largest turf pitch in all of Snohomish County,” said women’s soccer coach Jeanette Delaney.