Dist. 211 teams may all play on new turf fields by August
Work on stadium renovations at Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211's three remaining schools that still have natural grass fields could start in May.
The plan is then to have new turf fields at Conant, Palatine and Hoffman Estates high schools finished by mid-August 2009 if all goes smoothly, District 211 Superintendent Roger Thornton. Those stadiums would be available to start construction on Memorial Day, May 25. The worst-case scenario is the projects could be completed by mid-September 2009. Crews would also install new tracks around the fields.
"I don't know if they'll be ready for preseason," Thornton said.
The District 211 board Thursday night voted 4 to 1 to have W-T Engineering provide the engineering and design plans for the new playing surfaces at the remaining schools. Stadium renovations have already been completed at Fremd High School in Palatine, and tonight the Schaumburg High School football team will play its first game on its new turf.
"We're very pleased with the outcomes," Thornton said of the recently completed work.
W-T, out of Hoffman Estates, submitted a proposal of $36,500 per field, or $109,500 for all three schools. The firm also handled site plans at Fremd and Schaumburg which the board approved in February.
Board member Bill Lloyd cast the lone dissenting vote and members George Brandt and Debra Strauss were absent.
Thornton said he hopes the district can go to bid on the project by mid-November, and that the bids could be returned by the end of the year, before his retirement. Earlier this year, school officials estimated the renovations to cost more than $8.7 million for all five schools.
District officials say they'll get more use out of turf fields, which are more durable given the Chicago area's harsh weather. Sportexe surfaces, which are used by two NFL teams, were installed at Fremd and Schaumburg.
For Schaumburg, tonight's homecoming game is the Saxons' first real home game of the season. The team played its home contests at Conant's field in Hoffman Estates due to construction delays. That forced schools officials to push back Homecoming from the original Sept. 26 date.
A combination of factors were to blame including a Sept. 12 mishap when a cement mixer went through the ground and crushed field drainage pipe. District officials also underestimated the time it took to secure permits from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Thornton said. Those permits are to ensure the project wouldn't cause flooding issues for those neighboring the stadiums.
Thornton said district officials have learned from the experience. He said installation at all three schools will take place at the same time, and if an interested contractor wants to take on all three projects, the firm would have to prove to District 211 officials they could handle all three at once.
W-T previously left out the cost of the detention ponds in its original April estimate, which was approved. The board in May had to again approve the amended estimate, which meant an increase of $2.7 million bringing the total to $8.7 million. That agitated board members, with Brandt calling W-T "incompetent." Thornton on Thursday lauded W-T's work and said at the meeting he felt comfortable leaving the project in their hands.