Memorial Field is currently the district’s only stadium facility, and is used by more than a dozen teams for a wide array of interscholastic competitions. The facility is also used for community events throughout the year.
Unfortunately, however, the current facilities aren’t meeting the needs of students or spectators, and could much better serve the community with some upcoming upgrades. As-is, the facilities are considered “seriously deficient” and below Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association competition standards as well as federal, state, and local guidelines for hygiene, accessibility and safety.
The district has been planning for a Memorial Field renovation project for quite a while now, but it wasn’t really known whether or not the district would choose to keep Memorial Field in its current location, or move it elsewhere. While there were pros and cons to both options, the former was finally decided last year, for a multitude of reasons, including a lower cost.
Two design options were revealed last fall by architectural firm Weber Murphy Fox. Both designs were created after thorough reviews of the currently standing resources, and surveys of district staff, coaches, parents, and more. Early this year, one of the two options was finally approved unanimously by the Board of School Directors.
The new, chosen design concept will completely demolish the Nittany Avenue Building (which was built in 1924 and is considered a “contributing building” within a historic district), rather than just renovating the interior, replacing it with a brand-new locker room facility. The design also will replace the existing east side “home” bleachers, and create a new concourse along the southern end zone to connect the existing bleachers on the west side. The new seating capacity will be close to 3,500.
The total cost? Just around $8.8 million.
Now, the Board of School Directors will go on to approve design processes at 30-, 60- and 90-percent milestones. The construction will begin in May 2018, hopefully wrapping up in 2019. The new locker rooms and spectator restrooms should be open for the fall 2020 football season. Throughout the project, the district aims to keep the facility open for fall sports in both 2018 and 2019.
| MEMORIAL FIELD RENOVATION TIMELINE | |
| May-June 2018 | Demo Building |
| August-November 2018 | Football Season |
| December 2018-July 2019 | Construction |
| August-November 2019 | Football Season, Simultaneous Interior Work |
| January 2020 | Substantial Completion |
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The district’s capital financing plan:
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