The ES Marks Athletics Field in Kensington is due to receive some much-needed upgrades worth $4.8 million.
These upgrades intend to provide the field with a complete and utter overhaul, improving the 400-metre synthetic track and high and long jump areas while simultaneously enhancing the various facilities and facets of the area. These include, but are not limited to, the lighting, the tree-planting plans, and the car park.
A series of new coach pick-up and drop-off zones will also be included in the roster of upgrades. Rob Stokes, Planning and Public Spaces Minister, stated that the venue would be revitalised and provide the children who would make up newer generations of athletes with a place to train and practise for their respective sporting activities.
The ES Marks Athletics Field has been a community hallmark for 115 years, being the only facility of its kind along the eastern side of Sydney. With the upgrades fully implemented and operational, the field can be more readily available and up-to-standard.
For instance, the new and improved lighting all across the venue will help increase the number of hours the field can be used, and improved parking means increased capacity — a necessity as more and more children find themselves engaging with sports and athletics.
The venue will be closed from the 6th of September 2021 until construction is completed, which is estimated to be sometime in April in 2022. The ES Marks Athletics Field can be found at Boronia Street, Kensington.