PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Hearts of Pine soccer team is gearing up for their first-ever season this spring.
To prepare, upgrades totaling $2.5 million are going into Fitzpatrick Stadium between December this year and February 2025.
If you drive by the stadium now, you'll notice the turf is gone. That's because replacing the 10-year-old field with a new artificial one is part of the project.
"The original turf was installed in 2015, so it's sort of nearing its end-of-life," Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, the Portland Hearts of Pine founder, said. "Ready for a new one and installing the safety pad, which is actually really important for not only our players but for everyone that uses the facility."
Hoffman-John says two semi-permanent locker rooms are being added and the the press box is getting a much needed refresh.
"The press box didn't have stairs on it and, you know, some of the sidings are gone; it feels like you're gonna fall through the floor," Hoffman-Johnson said.
Club President Kevin Schohl says the stadium lights are also being upgraded along with new field goal posts for the football team.
He says when the upgrades are all said and done, he hopes groups that have benefited from the city field will continue to do so.
"You've got rec league players, you've got middle school kids, you've got high school kids. Everybody will be able to play on this field," Schohl said. "I think it'll be really cool for them to say they play on the same field as pro soccer players."
Hoffman-Johnson adds that aside from the upgrades and bringing professional soccer to Maine, the mission goes beyond the team.
"It's really soccer for social good is really what we're here to do and this is you know one piece of that an important piece a needed," Hoffman Johnson said.
Hoffman-Johnson and Schohl say they're confident the timeline to finish the upgrades won't be impacted by the winter weather.
Installation of the new turf at Fitzpatrick Stadium is scheduled to be done by the end of December.
The Portland Hearts of Pine's first home game will be in May, with 18 home games in total this season.
According to the team, thousands of Mainers have already purchased season tickets. If you're looking for fan gear, the team opened a pop-up shop at 65 Hanover St.