GREENE – Contractors have broken ground on the Greene Central School’s $36.1 million dollar capital improvement project which will overhaul each building in the district and add both new classroom space and an artificial turf field.

The most visible portion of the project so far is the excavation behind the High School/Middle School, being done to prepare for the new field as well as to improve drainage off the hill.

“We’re moving a lot of dirt,” reported Superintendent Gary Smith, as a dump truck rumbled by his office window.

The artificial surface playing field will be wider than a traditional football field to allow for other sports to utilize the playing surface, including field hockey and soccer, Smith said.

The goal, he explained, is to have “virtually all of our Varsity, Junior Varsity and Modified contests” on the new field. Coordinating those games and matches will require careful planning and scheduling by the district’s athletic director and coaches, he admitted.

Most teams will continue to use their current practice space, including the Lions Park and the Greene Ball Flats, ownership of which was recently transferred to the town and village of Greene. Smith said this transfer was done with the stipulation that the school can continue to use the field.