BEVERLY — Mayor Bill Scanlon hasn't given up his quest for an artificial turf playing field.
Rebuffed last year in his attempt to build a new field at the high school, Scanlon is now hoping to achieve his goal with a combination of a $500,000 state grant and $333,000 in private donations.
If he's successful, the city would build an $833,000 artificial turf field within the boundaries of the outdoor track at Beverly High School.
"We're not talking about any city money at this point," Scanlon said. "We're looking for private contributions to make this thing happen."
This is the city's second attempt to try to obtain funding for a turf field. Two fields were originally included in the plans to build a new high school, but they were dropped when the Massachusetts School Building Authority said it would not share the cost of building playing fields.
Scanlon said the city will now take a different route. It plans to apply for a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services through a program that helps communities develop or renovate parks.
If the city wins the grant, Scanlon said he knows people who will contribute toward the rest of the cost. He said it would cost at least $750,000 just for the turf field.
"If we got the grant, it looks like a target we could reach with people donating, with some donating a lot and some giving a little," Scanlon said. "Our thought was, 'Let's give it a shot.'"
The Parkland Acquisition and Renovations for Communities, or PARC, program gave out $6.9 million in grants to 14 communities in its last round in November, according to a spokeswoman for the program. Peabody was awarded $329,417 to design and build a new park on Walnut Street, she said.
Beverly plans to apply for $500,000, the maximum amount.
Associate City Planner Kate Newhall, whom Scanlon credited with calling the program to the city's attention, said the grant application is due July 15. The state should announce the winners by the fall, she said.
Scanlon said he would like to see an artificial turf field because the synthetic surface is more durable and allows more teams to use the field more often. It also costs less to maintain than a grass field, he said.
St. John's Prep and Manchester-by-the-Sea have built artificial turf fields at their schools. Last week, voters in Marblehead rejected an override to pay for a turf field at its high school.
"Artificial turf takes a lot of abuse," Scanlon said. "You can't take any grass surface and use it as much as you can use an artificial surface. You get a lot more use and less maintenance."
The original plans at the high school called for two turf fields, including one with stands where the football team would play. Scanlon said the current plan calls only for a turf field, without stands or lights, inside the outdoor track at the high school. The football team would continue to play at Hurd Stadium, he said.
Scanlon, however, did not rule out eventually building a football field at the high school.
"I'd still like to have that," he said. "This is step one."
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by e-mail at pleighton@salemnews.com.
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