Warren City begins multi‑phase Mollenkopf Stadium renovation; home stands to stay closed until mid‑August

Warren City School District staff told the board on July 15 that work is underway on a three‑phase restoration of Mollenkopf Stadium, plus related site remediation and several building projects across the district.

The superintendent and Mr. Lacy, who presented the facilities update, described the work as progressing on multiple fronts: the home‑stand waterproofing and seating restoration are complete, crews are working on the underside of the home stands (phase 2), and phase 3 will add East‑side stands later this fall. Mr. Lacy said the home side stands “will remain closed until the projects are near completion in mid August.”

Why it matters: the upgrades address long‑standing maintenance issues that officials said were deferred for years and affect game‑day capacity, athlete and spectator access, and site drainage. The district is also combining stadium work with separate but related projects — fuel‑tank removal, site remediation tied to a planned transportation garage, and multiple building renovations — which the superintendent said reduces the need to build a new bus garage and leverages existing site work.

Details of the stadium work and timeline Mr. Lacy said the home stands were pressure‑washed and treated with a waterproofing product (identified in the presentation as CICA), all aluminum seating was removed and reinstalled, railings will be repainted, and signage under the banner will be removed for future consideration. He showed photos of newly poured concrete and of concourse areas that were excavated and lowered to correct previous reverse grading that allowed water to pond against the front of the stands.

On interior work, Mr. Lacy showed images of concession areas and restrooms that will receive new epoxy flooring, countertops and cabinets, and new ceilings and walls in the press box area. He said maintaining and restoring the existing press box avoided installing an elevator and “is saving us a couple $100,000,” and that the press box is structurally sound; portable air conditioning units are being used while permanent systems are addressed.

Concrete and drainage Architect and staff recommendations led the district to specify 6‑inch concrete slabs in areas that will see heavy equipment rather than a 4‑inch section, Mr. Lacy said. He noted the importance of correct grading so water reaches parking‑lot drains and the district’s storm system; the concrete work and grade correction are intended to reduce future settling and standing water.

Phasing, contractors and other projects Mr. Lacy said Santini (contractor name provided in the presentation) is working on phase 2 underside work and that the district solicited requests for qualifications for the visitor stands; staff hope work on visitor stands will be complete in time for next football season and gave a rough target of mid‑November if the tight schedule holds. He also reported other summer projects: a phone system conversion (Harding High School already converted, with Jefferson and Lincoln planned next), a Mercy Physicians Group build‑out where DeSalvo and Akron Children’s were involved in rough‑in plumbing, and other individual building projects across the district.

Site remediation and transportation garage The superintendent and staff said the district plans tank removal and remediation at a site where tanks had been in place for nearly 30 years; remediation ties into the transportation garage planning and earlier work to protect district property. The district reported previous flood mitigation on Pine Avenue had addressed most flooding, but additional protection and remediation work remain necessary.

Schedule and public access Mr. Lacy repeated that the home‑side stands will remain closed to the public until work is near completion in mid‑August. He said the visitor stands and associated ticket‑booth/storage building are part of later phases and that some advertising or signage decisions will be postponed because of the time required to develop them.

Costs and procurement Staff described choosing contractors based on bids and qualifications; Mr. Lacy said one vendor from Marion, Ohio completed the home‑stand work and was the lowest cost bidder for that contract. He did not provide an overall project cost at the July 15 update.

The board did not take a formal vote on the stadium work during the presentation; staff described progress and near‑term procurement steps.