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Boardman schools set to break ground on new Spartan Stadium
BOARDMAN
An architect’s rendering of Boardman High School before it was built at its current site in 1969 depicts a few other features on the campus, such as a performing arts center and a football stadium.
In 2000, the Boardman Performing Arts Center was added to the school’s campus.
Today, the last missing piece of the puzzle is one step closer to being added, as Boardman schools break ground on the next phase of the Spartan Stadium project. The school district will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. today.
“Realistically, it’s been in the works for 46 years,” said Tim Saxton, the district’s director of operations.
This phase of the project, which is being funded by private donations, will add 4,100 home seats, 3,000 visitor seats, a scoreboard and a press box to the site off Nisonger Road.
“There was a need to upgrade our facilities, and I think with having a first-class facility for them to compete in, to have a 35-foot-wide scoreboard, ... I think it brings a renewed excitement for an athlete, cheerleader, or band member to walk into that stadium,” said athletic director Denise Gorski. “It’s the ‘wow’ factor.”
Phase one, which added turf to the stadium, was completed at the end of last summer.
Project leaders have plans for a third phase for some point in the future, which will add a complex with locker rooms, restrooms and concessions; resurface the track; finish the front entrance; and add a band shell.
The total estimated project cost is about $3.5 million, about $1 million of which has yet to be raised.
“We’re very appreciative of the community and what they’ve done for us,” said Bill Bonte, president of the booster club. “We’ve had a good run here recently, and we hope we’re going to be able to close it out and do everything by next fall.”
Most of the funding has come from major corporate donors as well as some local organizations. Donors who gave more than $10,000 get naming rights for parts of the stadium.
Those donors are: Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, the Associated School Employees Credit Union, the Beard family, the Boardman Gridiron Club, the Boardman Rotary Club, Cocca’s Pizza, Compco Industries, Cortland Banks, Farmers National Bank, Home Savings and Loan, Jones Wealth Management-Merrill Lynch, the J. Ford Crandall Foundation, Prout Boiler, Heating & Welding Inc., Refresh Dental, Sweeney Chevy Buick GMC and Taylor Kia of Boardman.
Construction of the new stadium will allow Boardman varsity football to move from its current playing site behind Center Middle School, which school officials say will save the school district money and make varsity football games more accessible to the community.
“It’s going to be exciting to have this facility, along with our baseball, tennis and softball fields on the same campus,” Gorski said.
If everything goes as planned, the varsity football team’s first home game Sept. 4 against Cardinal Mooney High School will be at the new stadium.
“We’re expecting a very large crowd for that,” Saxton said. “Our goal is to have [the stadium] ready for use Aug. 17.”
The athletic department already is selling advance tickets for premium seats to current season ticket holders, with plans to open up sales to the public at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
“We’re excited to get this built to the point where we can host a major varsity event,” Saxton said.