The Breitung Township School Board approved the work, which has a preliminary estimated cost of $1.75 million to $1.85 million, during a special meeting last week, Superintendent David Holmes said.

Construction is expected to begin just after the 2025 Upper Peninsula Track and Field Finals and should be completed before the start of the fall 2025 sports seasons, Holmes said in a news release this week.

The original track surface was installed in 1991, with some repairs and repainting at times over the past several years. The board committed to replacing the original track, which includes basework, resurfacing and painting. An ad hoc committee then was formed to determine whether or not to add an artificial turf field, since the base work for the track surface was already being planned.

“After several committee meetings and input from administrators and staff members who regularly use the facility with students, the board voted to move forward with the complete track and field project, which includes the installation of artificial turf,” Holmes said in the release.

THE TRACK SURFACE at Flivver Field dates back to 1991, with some repairs and repainting done since then. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

The $2 million in funding committed so far include a $200,000 donation from Iron Mountain-Kingsford Community Schools, a $150,000 donation from the Kingsford High School Athletic Booster Club, $150,000 from initial fundraising efforts and the remaining funds not to exceed $1.5 million from the Francis Zanardi Trust.

While confident with the initial pricing for the project, Holmes said additional costs could surface as the district goes out for more detailed concepts and vendors, so fundraising will continue. “The work now really begins with the engineering,” he said Wednesday.

The Flivver Field Legacy Project fundraising campaign kicked off Tuesday, Holmes said. Individuals and businesses will be able to purchase yard lines, sidelines, end zones, goal posts or track lanes and receive recognition on a billboard that will be constructed as part of the fundraising effort.

Other individual donations will also be accepted as part of the fundraising campaign. The final details of the fundraising plan are available on the Breitung Township Schools website at www.kingsford.org/legacy, as well as the district’s Facebook pages.

Donation already are coming in, with items available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis, Holmes said Wednesday.

“I commend the board for making this decision to maintain and upgrade our facilities. Flivver Field is already a gathering place and our community takes great pride in the history and tradition associated with it. However, there is limited use with the current grass field,” Holmes said. “Adding an artificial turf surface allows the facility to be used in many ways for seven to eight months of the year. Multiple sports programs, marching band, physical education classes, sports camps and community school summer programs will all be able to use the facility. In addition, replacing the track surface enables us to continue to host the Upper Peninsula Track and Field Finals, which is the largest single sporting event held in the Upper Peninsula annually.”

Holmes praised the support of IMKCS, the Kingsford High School Athletic Booster Club and the “incredible gift” from the Francis Zanardi Trust, adding, “This project will have an immediate benefit to multiple student programs and the community as a whole.”

Kingsford High School Athletic Director Chris Hartman added, “Replacing the track and installing artificial turf was one of my major facility goals when I accepted this position in 2019. Flivver Field is one of the nicest venues to host events in the region. We will now have the opportunity to expand the use of this facility and take our programs, IM-K community schools camps and regional events to a whole new level.”