The Miami Trace Local Schools Board of Education discussed and approved a couple projects the district will tackle over the summer in regards to a new stadium during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday.
As the spring months march onward, the forthcoming summer vacation will begin for students in Fayette County. The work for the district will not stop though as they continue to construct the new high school, which is scheduled to be done and moved into by the beginning of 2019. As part of the work that is yet to be completed, two projects will be started and completed this summer: a new building to house the concessions, ticket booth and restrooms, as well as work on the turf and “D” sections of the field.
“Once the building comes down that side will be where the home stands are,” Miami Trace Local Schools Business Manager Bill Franke said while displaying a set of plans. “As we talked about tonight, in the area of the new ticket booth, this could be a visitors’ plaza. It could have the victory bell, or maybe an arch, but we haven’t gotten there yet as to what all of this will look like just yet.”
As part of the discussion, Franke, superintendent David Lewis and treasurer Debbie Black, shared with the board that when they originally set the budget for these projects, several details were not yet thought of, including the price to repair and finish the sections of the field – referred to as the “D” sections – at each end of the turf that is to be installed this summer. These sections have fallen into disrepair, and several of the coaches and athletic director Aaron Hammond, according to Franke, wanted to see them fixed with the updates coming to the stadium.
“When we set the original budget we were not doing a lot in these ‘D’ areas,” Franke said. “When we met with the athletic director and some of the coaches, they realized that these pits needed to be realigned and re-done. They are pretty bad. Plus you don’t want to have all of this artificial turf and then a section here that is grass that you have to mow and will be blown onto the field. What we are going to do is have the turf field and then the ‘D’ areas will be paved and covered with the rubberized material that is on the track.”
During the meeting Monday, the board approved a contract with Marquee Construction to build the new ticket booth building. Overall – between the building and the field sections – the projects will cost the district about $2.2 million.
Other items discussed during the meeting included an approval for 2018-19 fire safety guidelines for the district, the ending of testing, life and dental insurance policies, and the celebration of Staff Appreciation Week.
Stay with the Record-Herald for monthly updates from the Miami Trace Local Schools.
