Facility Remains Open for Public Use
Grant Bowl Athletic Field Closed Due to Safety Concerns and Maintenance Issues. Photo courtesy of Grant Facebook.
Grant Bowl (multipurpose synthetic athletic field) is a treasured community space, although it has reached a point where it is no longer safe for athletics. Because safety is a key priority of Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), this means permits cannot be issued for the space. PP&R will work with Portland Public Schools (PPS) to find alternative practice and competition spaces for Grant High School’s student athletes. The field remains open to the public (as an outside contractor failed the field for organized sport use). The turf at Grant Bowl was installed in September 2013. It had an 8-10 year expected lifespan and came with a three-year warranty. After the field failed its first test in November 2022, PP&R followed up with thorough maintenance. This was, unfortunately, not enough: the field again failed a second professionally administered test in December 2022. PP&R notified PPS, and both parties collaborated to restore the field further. The professional synthetic turf contractor recommended PP&R add more crumb rubber fill to help increase the field’s cushioning; this effort was completed after the rainy season ended, per industry standards (May 2023). (The last time PP&R added crumb rubber fill to the field was in 2018, in line with professional recommendations.) Despite this addition, the field failed a third safety test in May 2023. PP&R issued PPS a Non-Parks Use Permit on August 9 to repair the Grant Bowl's artificial turf. The repair was done August 10, followed by another safety test by an external vendor. Unfortunately, the field again failed the test, and PPS deemed it unsafe for Grant's student-athletes.