Tracks around football and soccer fields stink....period. Even the University of Maine plans to remove the track from Alfond Stadium (football) to improve sightlines and atmosphere....and build a another one in a new location.
Agree. Portland is changing in scope and size rapidly. To use this prominent piece of land (Fitzpatrick) as a high school running track is not in the best interests of the city, or at large that is. When was the last time anyone attended a track meet? And what kind of revenue can you make from selling tickets at a track meet? The city needs revenue. All cities do. This place as a dynamic soccer stadium (and concerts from an inside space to make revenue for the city) for pros, college, and youth is a GREAT idea. The track ruins it, a bit. But what can we expect? There is still a lot of provincial minded "thinking power" in Portland. A few years from now there will be a call to get rid of the track that no one uses. Change is good. Change is life.I still to this day don't understand why the city does not utilize the land behind Deering High School and build a track specific stadium