Hometown Happenings: G.O.A.T. Yoga
State College-Memorial Field update
by: David Kaplan
Posted: Feb 6, 2019 / 01:17 AM EST / Updated: Feb 7, 2019 / 01:10 AM EST
Memorial Field in State College was built in 1938.
Although the stadium has had renovations throughout the years, the school district says it still needs updates.
In 2013 the visitor's side bleachers, walkway and brick wall at Memorial Field were remodeled.
This was phase one of a renovation project. Tuesday night parents and students heard options for phase two.
Ben Kuhns is a Sophomore on the State College Area High School Football team.
His team, doesn't have a locker room, or showers and has to share a bathroom at Memorial Field. He says it would be great to have those things and see 600 more bleacher seats.
"I like the idea of having a modernized stadium, you know it will make you feel better, make you feel like you're in a bigger crowd, with hopefully more students, hopefully more fans," Kuhns said.
Tuesday night district officials told parents construction will start in April and may stop for football seasons, or they could try to finish by 2020. In the latter option kids would either have to play all away games or play games at the South Track or North Field.
Ben and his mother say it's important State College high keeps it's home games,
"Everybody would have to travel all the time, and I think that would be terrible for school spirit," Jennifer Kuhns, Ben's Mother said.
The school district will open bids for the construction project on February 19th.
"I think the main objective tonight when we met with the community was to share information out take a temperature of the room," Chris Weakland, Director of Athletics, for the State College Area School District, said.
The school district expects the project to cost around ten million dollars, which will be paid for with reserved funds. Six hundred thousand dollars has already been raised.