Barrington stadium will be open in August

Barrington Community Stadium is scheduled to open on time this summer, officials said Tuesday during a tour of the new facility.

Lance Tritsch, senior project manager for Pepper Construction, said crews are now pouring concrete foundations for the new concession stands, storage areas and restrooms.

"We are going to start the masonry real soon," Tritsch said.

School board President Brian Battle said passers-by will start to see the project move considerably forward.

"As people go by over the next four to six weeks, they will start to see buildings going up and after that the bleachers (installed)," he said.

In April 2007, voters agreed to spend $4.4 million to rebuild the stadium, which had a torn-up track, dirt infield and stands that were not up to the Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.

The new stadium will feature an eight-lane track and a larger field surface for football, soccer and lacrosse play. New seating will accommodate 2,500 for home fans and 1,500 for the visitors.

Tritsch said everything is on schedule for the stadium's opening at the end of August.

"The things that are going to go down to the wire are the track, track striping and turf," he said.

The first football game, against Libertyville High, is scheduled for Aug. 29. Officials said a football scrimmage and soccer game are planned for the week before.

To keep the cost down for taxpayers, the school board decided some of the more elaborate items, like the synthetic turf, restrooms and electronic scoreboard, would need to be paid for with private donations raised by school's Friends of the Stadium. The group has raised more than $775,000.

Wickstrom Ford, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and the Wiseman family donated a combined $475,000. For 10 years, their names will be listed on signs within the new stadium indicating their support.

For more information about the stadium project or to learn about how to donate to the Friends of the Stadium, visit www.horseshoeclub.org.