Firm: Stadium is unsafe

Cost estimates range from 1.3 million to 3.1 million.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- An engineering firm has said the concrete bleachers at Struthers Football Stadium are unsafe and recommended that they no longer be used without extensive permanent repair.
The report, prepared by ES & amp;C International of Youngstown, was given to the school district last week and is expected to be discussed at today's board of education meeting.
The board voted in June 2006 to hire an engineering firm to evaluate the 4,000-seat stadium, built in 1936, to determine if it's worth repairing.
The stadium has become an eyesore, said then board president David Barone. The board also said it wanted to know if the structure is safe.
ES & amp;C's report offered four options accompanied by estimated costs:
Repair by filling concrete stands with low-strength mortar topped with nonshrink grout, and make exterior repairs, 1.3 million.
Repair the stadium by erecting a more permanent support system for the bleachers, consisting of steel beams and columns supported by concrete foundations, along with exterior repairs, 1.4 million.
Demolish the concrete stands and erect new elevated aluminum stadium bleachers, 1.4 million.
Demolish the concrete stands and build new concrete stands, 3 million.
Inspection findings
In its report, ES & amp;C said it examined the structures Jan. 16, 17, 22 and 30, and found numerous horizontal and vertical cracks in exterior concrete walls, which are also visible from the interior of the walls. The interior concrete ceilings, or the underside of the concrete bleachers, was covered by corrugated metal sheeting. When some of the sheeting was removed, ES & amp;C said it found the concrete ceilings in poor condition.
The Save Our Stadium citizens committee, which has been working on building a multipurpose building at the stadium to house the home locker room, restrooms and concessions stands, has also seen the report and plans to make recommendations to the board at its meeting. William Polis, a city resident, heads the stadium committee.
Daniel Thomas, a member of SOS, said the committee, hopeful that the current visitors' stands on the Garfield Street side will be usable until money becomes available to replace it, would make the following recommendations to the board:
Continue work on the multipurpose building.
Make repairs to and convert the current visitors' stands to the home stands.
Demolish the home stands and replace it with temporary bleachers for visitors until such time as money is available for permanent elevated aluminum bleachers.
alcorn@vindy.com