The Eastern athletic department is getting closer to its goal of installing an artificial playing surface in O’Brien Stadium.

Director of Athletics Rich McDuffie said private fundraising efforts for the project are going well.

“We are just about at $400,000,” McDuffie said. “We are still a couple hundred thousand short of our goal, so we have some asks left.”

The athletic department originally estimated the project’s cost between $500,000 and $700,000.

McDuffie also expects to receive grant money from the state of Illinois for using recycled materials for the project. Eastern received a similar grant when it installed a nine-lane all-weather track at O’Brien in the fall of 2001. The project cost $400,000.

“We anticipate that we will receive the Illinois state recycling grant, so we anticipate that we will have sufficient funds to do the project,” McDuffie said.

McDuffie began his campaign to fund the turf last fall after he announced interest in installing an artificial surface in O’Brien in September.

The athletic department will present a proposal to the university at the Board of Trustees meeting Monday. The BOT will have the option to approve or reject the proposal, but McDuffie believes it will pass.

“We will not be using any appropriated dollars and we will not be using any student funds,” McDuffie said. “It would improve the facility that needs improvement at no cost to the university.”

The proposal to the BOT will not have a specific company that the athletic department will purchase the artificial surface from because one has not been selected .

McDuffie said the decision of what company Eastern will select is contingent on the approval of the proposal by the BOT.