Supporters secured an undisclosed pledge from the Kettering Health Network’s Sycamore Medical Center and made a discounted purchase of 5,000 refurbished, individual stadium seats. That, plus new plans to complete the project in two phases, moves it closer to reality, said Miamisburg Athletic Director Jason Osborne.
The commitment from Sycamore is “another lead type of pledge that allows us to move forward with the project,” he said. “In the past we were trying to get there. This tips us over the edge of getting started.”
The stadium would replace Harmon Field. The 2,700-seat venue, dedicated in 1923 off Linden Avenue, is not on high school land and lacks amenities to host Greater Western Ohio Conference events, officials have said.
The high school now has four baseball/softball fields, six tennis courts and a soccer/track stadium. Upon completion, the new complex — which will be used for multiple athletic and extra-curricular activities — would provide more than 900 parking spaces, as well as concessions and rest rooms, among other facilities, according to the school district.
The deal with KHN “is still being hammered out,” said Superintendent David Vail, noting it could be a combination of funding and services.
KHN’s pledge “will help create a campus-style facility that will contribute to the athletic, academic and wellness opportunities for our students and staff, as well as for the entire school community,” according to a statement from Walter Sackett, senior vice president of Sycamore.
The original estimate of $5 million for the project may change because of the seating purchase and the decision to phase in the project, Vail said.
“We’re hoping to come in under that,” he said, “but we don’t want to lower expectations and come up short.”
Phase I, estimated to cost $3.8 million, will include the stadium’s synthetic turf field and full seating on the home side. It will also include partial seating on the visitor side, and rest room/concession facilities, Osborne said.
Phase II, estimated to cost $1.2 million, would include a fieldhouse housing a locker room; officials locker room; trainer room; storage within the stadium complex, according to district officials. This phase is still being evaluated and may change.
The district received a “a considerable savings” by buying the seats for between $400,000 and $450,000 from an undisclosed seller who Vail described only as “a wholesaler who specializes in selling refurbished stadium seating.”
It also may be able to trim some costs by incorporating facilities planned for Phase II within the high school, Osborne said.
The district is working with a Toledo architecture and engineering firm on plans for project, said Business Director Scott Gilbert. He estimated that concept, design, architectural and engineering will cost about $250,000.
The district is “still setting those timetables” for how the project will proceed, he said.
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