Peter Bluesten Park – Hallandale Beach, FL
Project Overview
Movie nights under the stars. Indoor basketball. Walking trails. A multi-purpose sports field. These are just a handful of the amenities offered by Peter Bluesten Park, opened in August of 2019, in the city of Hallandale Beach. As the Hallandale Parks and Recreation department designed the new multi-purpose athletic field in their unique climate, they faced a few challenges.
The Challenge
How do you keep an athletic field safe and fun for players in a hot climate that gets near-daily rainfall — especially throughout summer and early fall? A good start is an artificial turf field, which avoids the rain-related issues of muddy conditions and subsequent replanting that natural grass fields have. But not all artificial turf field systems can withstand frequent rain and high temps, so the park’s planning team needed a turf infill — which can include many materials, from crumb rubber to sand — that wouldn’t migrate in rain, or become unpleasant in high temps.
The Solution
After considering various turf infill options for their multipurpose artificial turf sports field, the Hallandale Beach Parks and Rec chose Safeshell, a 100% natural infill made from US-grown English and black walnut shells. Safeshell stays in place when it rains, excels at evaporative cooling to combat the Florida heat, and is completely safe and nontoxic — unlike crumb rubber, which is commonly used in sports fields. Ultimately, the planning team chose Safeshell so their Hallandale Beach community would enjoy a totally safe and comfortable playing experience — with minimal upkeep.
The Result
Low Maintenance
Using Safeshell infill means that the sports field can withstand Hallandale’s heavy rainfall without continual maintenance, not to mention being able to handle the public park’s frequent foot traffic.
Heat Performance
It’s vital to keep players safe in Hallandale Beach’s hot, humid climate — and Safeshell’s natural properties excel at evaporative cooling. Safeshell cools the field up to 55℉ more than crumb rubber — it doesn’t actually require water to cool the field, unlike other organic infills.
Natural and Safe
Unlike crumb rubber, Safeshell is 100% natural and nontoxic. In fact, Safeshell is the only 100% USDA Certified BioBased infill on the market, so the Hallandale Parks and Rec team can know their community is playing on a proven safe and natural foundation.
Where to Buy Infill for Sports Fields
Motz offers two innovative turf infills that champion durability and performance while being low maintenance, safe and earth-friendly. Work with your contractor or field designer to request a sample or place an order. Contact us for any questions you may have about the ordering process.
