Site work and outdoor lighting for a playground / park / athletic field in Largo, Florida. Conceptual plans call for site work for a playground / park / athletic field; and for outdoor lighting for a playground / park / athletic field.

Currently there are two types of technology to light sports fields, metal halides and LED. The project involves replacement of the current 1500-watt metal halide fixtures and bulbs on existing poles to LED technology. This project proposes to replace all the lighting fixtures to LED technology for sports fields over a 10-year period. There are almost 600 lighting fixtures identified covering sports fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball, hockey rink, and the southwest pool. Replacement of bulbs has become more costly over the past five years, expending nearly $30,000 annually. LED bulbs last much longer than the current systems, reducing the annual expenditure on lighting replacement. There are other benefits to LED as well, they can be focused more accurately as to reduce light pollution and spillover to the neighbors, thus reducing the impact of sports fields in the neighborhoods they are located. The project also increases reliability of the equipment as it lasts longer, and the new equipment will come with parts and labor warranties that will provide the City with some short-term maintenance savings. Energy savings are estimated at 50-75%, this could equate to over $20,000 annually. Also, LED is newer technology and is fast becoming the industry standard for sports field lighting. A plan was developed to replace fields based on the age of the equipment. This project is not just a bulb replacement, it involves the fixtures that are attached to the poles as well, and to provide the proper lighting and candle readings on a sports field, it's best practice to upgrade an entire field, not just one bank at a time. The total cost includes permitting, turf repair, electrical upgrades, and other ensuring proper candle readings per field. Staff is researching the City's eligibility for the Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and intends to apply for support for this project. The project is include in the city's 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.