Cazenovia community celebrates Phase 2 completion of athletic complex

Oct. 11, 2024
 

Blue and yellow filled the stands of Cazenovia Central School District’s athletic complex for Homecoming 2024, which featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the district’s athletic complex. 

The first phase of the athletic complex finished the practice field, now referred to as the upper field, in fall 2023, and the lower stadium field and track completed this fall, was the last phase of the project. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Oct. 5 on the Buckley-Volo Field after the football game and before the girl’s varsity soccer game. It drew local community members, faculty, students, staff, coaches, and student-athletes from various Cazenovia athletic teams, from youth soccer to high school track. 

“With its state-of-the-art facilities, this complex has not only transformed our present but also opened the doors to a future filled with endless possibilities,” said Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio. 

In February 2022, voters approved a $10.7 million capital project designed to address student equity, educational program needs and infrastructure needs at the district’s outdoor athletic facilities. Just over 60 percent of the project was funded through state building aid and capital reserve funds, with the remaining balance to be paid over 15 years via the tax levy.

Concluding the ceremony, several student-athletes spoke about how the complex has improved their experience and athletic education. They touched on the positives of the new complex, such as offering appreciation for an elongated play season due to the drainage capabilities of turf, enjoying a level field with new equipment and sound system for a more professional game experience and training, fewer bus rides and earlier practice times thanks to the on-campus location, and the multi-level multi-use fields for more teams to practice simultaneously.