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District proposes $3 million stadium upgrades at Lake Norman High; lights amendment of $250k–$300k expected
Summary
Facilities staff proposed a design-build stadium upgrade at Lake Norman High School including turf, a six‑lane Mondo track and a geo‑base; the project price presented was approximately $3 million and staff said an additional lighting upgrade is expected to add roughly $250,000–$300,000. Funding will come from capital funds and legislative support;
Facilities staff presented a proposal for athletic stadium upgrades at Lake Norman High School, part of a multi-year program of stadium renovations across the district.
Mark Shankaric described the project as a design‑build scope that will include site preparation and drainage work, turf installation, and a six‑lane Mondo track. Shankaric said the district issued a design‑build RFQ and previously selected Geo Services Southeast (Mooresville) in October 2023. The proposal presented at the Dec. 2 meeting listed a project cost of approximately $3,000,000.
Shankaric said the project will include a geo‑base material under the turf (a “GEO base”) that carries the same warranty as the turf and reduces soil removal and compaction testing needs. He said warranties on the turf are comparable to previously installed systems and described the turf as durable. Shankaric told the board that an additional lighting upgrade to meet North Carolina High School Athletic Association recommendations was not yet included in the presented price; he estimated the lighting amendment would add about $250,000–$300,000 and said he would provide updated numbers to the board before next week’s meeting.
Shankaric said capital funds would pay for the project and that some state legislators had helped secure funding to support field upgrades across the district. He said previous stadium projects were completed at North Iredell and West Iredell high schools and that the district has reviewed costs and specifications across those jobs.
Board members asked questions about hazardous or regulated-material handling (staff said prior testing had been done for earlier fields and did not expect surprises) and about revenue-generation from tournaments. Staff and board members discussed the trade-offs of community access — youth leagues commonly use fields at no cost — and the potential to market facilities for tournaments. The superintendent and finance staff said they would provide data on revenues from existing turf fields in a Friday update to the board.
No formal approval vote on the Lake Norman project was recorded in the public portion of the meeting; staff said the item would return with any updated pricing (including a lighting amendment) for formal action.
The board discussed potential revenue models for community use and emphasized the community value of athletic facilities as gathering places.
