Columbia University’s Baker Athletics Complex was recently recognized by the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) with a Grand Award – the highest honor – for exceptional athletic fields maintenance as part of the society’s 2015 Green Star Awards competition. The award will be presented on October 23rd during the society’s annual awards banquet in Louisville, Kentucky. The annual Professional Grounds Management Awards Program brings national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence.
Baker Athletics Complex, located at the northern tip of Manhattan at 218th Street and Broadway, is the primary athletics facility for Columbia outdoor sports programs, featuring Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium, Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium, Columbia Softball Field, Robertson Field at Satow Stadium, the Columbia Field Hockey Venue, The Dick Savitt Tennis Center, The Remmer and 1929 Boathouses, the Chrystie Field House and the Campbell Sports Center. Judges noted the complex’s “great looking turf”, “flawless maintenance of landscape”, “diverse plant and hardscape surfaces”, and sustainable practices such as composting and cool pavement. The west end of the complex also includes Muscota Marsh, a green space and site of ecological conservation that treats storm water runoff before it enters the tidal system, improving the quality of water emptying into the river.
Baker Athletics Complex was previously recognized by PGMS in 2008, and Columbia’s Morningside campus has also been recognized by PGMS for excellence in urban university grounds in 2007 and 2010
