North Kitsap Regional Event Center

A planned multi-use regional recreation and cultural center with ball fields, expanded swimming pool and community performance center. The Center, located near the NK High School complex, will include improvements and renovation of existing facilities and fields.

Phase 1

A series of public meetings were held in 2005 to establish initial needs and priorities. The KPFD is now working closely with project partners; the Poulsbo City Council, NK School District and Kitsap County, on the first phase of the project. The KPFD contributed $1.45 million dollars of the total $2.2 million required to complete Phase I.

Phase I included the replacement of the grass fields at the NK Stadium (Field #2 in the drawing below) and one of the soccer fields at Strawberry Field (#8 below) with artificial turf, and also facilitated the installation of lights at Strawberry Field. This project began after Commencement in June 2008 and was completed by the first football game in September. Strawberry Field renovations were finished in November. Click here for photos of the work being done on the NKREC Phase I project.

Four different partners cooperated in the $2.2 million project – KFD, Kitsap county, City of Poulsbo and NK School District – to provide artificial turf and resurfaced track for the Stadium, and artificial turf and lights at strawberry Field. The project was completed in November of 2008.

Supplement to Phase 1:
Several small projects were undertaken by the NKREC Steering Committee with the remaining funds from the main project: 1) A surveillance camera system was installed at Strawberry Field to provide additional security for the somewhat isolated field; 2) a ramp and walkway was installed to ease the handicap access from the Middle school to the Field; and most recently, a trail from Mesford to the Hostmark parking lot, along the East side of the athletic fields and buildings, was built with materials purchased from these funds and constructed by volunteers.

Click here for  copy of the Master Plan.

2006 NKREC Master Plan provides a long term vision for a fully-accessible, community focal point for socializing, cultural and recreational activities. It also will accommodate regional sports tournaments.

  • Ten multi-sports fields
  • Trails
  • Expanded parking
  • Site, parking and traffic safety improvements
  • Additions to the Community Theatre
  • Amenities for the Community Pool
  • 35,000 sq. ft. Special Events Center

In early 2008, construction began on “Phase I” of the Master Plan, converting the NK Stadium field and one of the soccer fields at Strawberry Field to world class Mondo artificial turf. In addition, lights were added to the Strawberry Field.

The partnership of the PFD, NK School District, County and the city of Poulsbo combined to finance the $2.2 million project, which was completed in November 2008. These new “tournament quality” facilities in the North end of the County are now available for Football, Soccer and Lacrosse to the NKSchool District and residents of the County as well as organizations that wish to host or sponsor major tournaments or events there.

Proposed Improvements

The City of Poulsbo and the NK School District, two of the other partners in the NKREC (the County is the fourth) submitted three proposals for moving the NKREC forward.

Project 1 – Expansion of trail system – adding approx 1 mile of additional trails through adjacent property, both public and private, for possible cross-country team use, as well as kids getting to school more safely. The request was for $132,000. It needed to be contiguous with the NKREC boundary and was found not to be so. Click here for an overview and this proposal details.

Project 2 – Enhancements at Strawberry Field – the request was for bleachers to accommodate spectators and encourage tournaments; also to purchase goals for soccer and lacrosse, also to encourage use and tournaments. The bleaches have been purchased and will be in place for the 2017-18 school year. The request was for $16,500, click here for proposal details.

Project 3 – Storm water management funding – There are storm water run-off and potential contamination issues from gravel parking areas at Strawberry Field as well as the main NK High School campus. NKSD was requesting funding to address the Strawberry Field parking area and for a study to enable Ecology grant money for further parking retrofit work. This plan has gone through some revisions and is being restated now. Request was originally for $132,000, click here for the details of the proposal.

Note: These last two projects are on hold, pending resolution of some partnership agreement modifications.