A $10.2 million turf lacrosse field is part of the Gowanda Central School District’s voter-approved Capital Project. Plans for the project are pictured above.

GOWANDA — The Gowanda Central School District got the result it hoped for on Tuesday night. The district’s $44.5 million Capital Project proposal passed by a vote of 186 to 66.

The proposal includes a new turf athletic field for lacrosse, as well as auditorium and library upgrades and crucial maintenance needs, including several roof replacements.

While the project totals $44.5 million of work, the district will not raise any additional taxes to fund the project. That will be done by utilizing $9.5 million of Capital Reserve funds, along with $9.1 million of Native American Aid and $340,000 in Excel Aid, added to the State Building Aid amount of $25.56 million. The Gowanda Central School District has a State Building Aid reimbursement rate of 95.4% on aid-eligible work.

Of the $44.5 million of work, $32 million is targeted for the Middle/High School campus and $12.5 million of work will be done at the Elementary School campus.

Included in the work at the Middle/High School campus is a $10.2 million turf lacrosse field, including stadium lights, bleachers that seat 500 people, a scoreboard, netting behind the crease, and fencing around the perimeter. The field’s primary design is for lacrosse, but it could be utilized as a football field, as well, especially for practices and youth contests. The turf field would be located between the baseball field and the softball field.

Other improvements at the Middle/High School campus include $7.4 million in mechanical upgrades, $5.8 million in roof replacements, $4.3 million in auditorium upgrades, $2.9 million in various other items. Improvements at the Elementary School campus include $5.5 million in mechanical upgrades, $2.8 million in roof replacements, $1.5 million to renovate the library, and roughly $800,000 in various other items.

“We’re really excited about this project scope,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson said as the project was presented earlier this year.

Some of the most crucial maintenance needs addressed in the project include roofs at both buildings that were installed in 2001. Replacing those roofs will ensure warranty coverage at both buildings. Other roofs will be targeted for replacement in a future project.

At the Middle/High School campus, targeted improvements include the replacement of deteriorated stairs, ramps and the loading dock, as well as elevator modernization and the addressing of cracks in the gym walls. Boilers and cooling systems at the Middle/High School will also be replaced.

Mechanical upgrades at the Elementary School include a data room cooling system, as well as flooring upgrades throughout the Elementary School, including the Elementary cafeteria.

The district is also targeting lead mitigation and piping replacements at both campuses, including the addition of a water filter at the Middle/High School campus. Other improvements at both campuses include the replacement of the district’s 25-year-old remote terminal units and humidity mitigation measures.

New York State Education Department approval is targeted in early 2027, with construction likely to begin in 2028 if approved by the State.