A Concord voter called it bluntly during Town Meeting: the portable restrooms at CCHS Memorial Field are "an embarrassment to our town." After years of discussion and a failed earlier funding attempt, the project to finally fix that is now moving through its next major step.

The Concord-Carlisle Joint School Committee was set to vote Friday on appointing an Owner's Project Manager for the $1.7 million to $1.85 million Amenities Building project — a required procurement milestone before construction can move forward. Meeting outcomes weren't yet posted at publication.

The new Amenities Building replaces the stadium's longtime portable restrooms and brings Memorial Field into compliance with state plumbing code and ADA requirements. It's a fix residents have wanted for years, and one that finally cleared a major funding hurdle when Concord's Community Preservation Committee approved $1,417,655 for the town's share in December, followed by a Town Meeting vote in May that beat back a last-minute attempt to strip the funding.

Carlisle's share runs $427,720 to $465,460, covered under its own May Town Meeting warrant article. There's also a potential assist from the state: state Sen. Michael Barrett's office flagged $175,000 in Fair Share Act funding that could reduce what both towns need to contribute, though it's unclear whether that money has been formally secured.

The district set aside a 10% bid contingency and tapped capital stabilization funds, including $25,000 approved in January for design and permitting. A planned trainer's room got cut from the project to keep it within Community Preservation Act spending rules.

The district expects to go out to bid this summer, with site prep starting shortly after and construction running into late 2026. Carlisle's own planning documents target a fall 2026 construction start and a spring 2027 opening. The field's sewer connection is already secured, funded separately from CPA dollars.

The Joint School Committee meets next Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. at Ripley.