Board Sees Plan For Stadium Work

— If plans come together as anticipated, the Greenland High School Pirates and their opponents could be preparing for games in new locker rooms which are part of an estimated $970,000 in improvements at the football field.

Designs were unveiled for the Greenland School Board on Thursday by architect Jim Key of Key Architects in Fayetteville.

The price tag is more than $1 million which includes $47,720 for insurance, bonds and fees for the individual components of the project.

Plans include new fencing, bleachers, restrooms, press box and new entry gate along with a 6,000-square-foot field house and storage mezzanine and a 120-meter, five-lane competitive track.

Seating on the home side would be increased to 1,000 and on the visitor side to 500.

The board could approve the final plans in April after which bids could be developed during the summer. Construction could start after the 2013 football season and be ready by August 2014, said Superintendent Charles Cudney.

Lee Larkan, athletic director, said there may need to be some minor revisions but the plan represents an overall vision he first presented to the board for consideration nearly two years ago.

“It’s pretty close to the original thoughts,” he said.

Larkan said after the meeting he wants to take a closer look at the layout of the locker rooms and the concession stand, which are part of the field house.

At the request of Pat Anderson, board president, other coaches indicated their general approval of the plans.

“As we go through this, as things need to be tweaked, speak up,” Anderson told the coaches in the audience. “We have one shot at this and we want to get it right.”

The project likely will be financed by the proceeds of a bond payoff later this year. The 2008 bonds can be paid off after September and bond agents have estimated the payoff can yield about $1.2 million because of lower interest rates expected to be in effect at that time.

Cudney said the 2008 bonds were sold at a 4.75 percent interest rate. If those same bonds were sold today, the interest rate would be about 2.61 percent, nearly half of that five years ago.

“I see this as a community venture,” Cudney said. “The reality is that parents show schools, they drive through and look. Greenland has to be able to compete.”

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