Board approves contract to demolish Haller Stadium bleachers after structural decay, asbestos and lead paint found

The Arlington School District board voted to approve a public‑works contract with Ascendant LLC for demolition of the bleachers at Haller Stadium after district staff and the architect concluded both grandstands were beyond repair.

Bridal Lewis, the district’s executive director of operations, told the board: "The bleachers at Haller are great in terms of their capacity, but they have, they're beyond the point of repair." Lewis described extensive dry rot at structural connections, additional rot in seating areas and the presence of hazardous materials, including asbestos in roofing components and lead‑containing paint throughout the structure.

Architect review and a hazardous‑materials survey led staff to recommend demolition rather than costly, phased repairs that would also require bringing the structures to current accessibility (ADA), electrical and seismic standards. Lewis said repairs would have required partial demolition in order to reach damaged elements, adding complexity and expense. The district will install three separate seating areas, each with 99 seats or fewer, to avoid annual certification costs that apply to larger grandstands; the new seating areas will be ADA compliant and mounted on concrete pads.

Lewis described the asbestos and lead‑paint abatement process: exterior‑work permits and notifications to the Clean Air Authority are required; contractors must be certified for hazardous‑material removal, disposal goes to transfer facilities (not standard landfills), and the district will document and submit completed abatement actions. District staff said much of the demolition work would be scheduled during spring break and that on workdays demolition crews would finish by 2:00 p.m. so track and other after‑school uses could resume; contractors must ensure the track and field are safe before student use (track activities typically resume at about 2:30 p.m.).

Student Advisor Nathan Nichols, representing the students on the board, supported the demolition, citing the site’s long closure and the projected high cost to repair. Nichols said sentimentality is understandable but added that repair costs would likely be at least $1 million, a figure staff also acknowledged as a plausible lower bound for a complete rebuild and remediation.

The board moved to approve the Ascendant LLC contract; the motion was made by Director Diamond and seconded by Director Natt. Voting members recorded in the meeting transcript indicated support (see vote record below). The district said the architect’s original estimate for the work was about $279,000; staff did not disclose the winning bid total during the meeting.

Why it matters: The bleachers have been closed for safety reasons and the stadium’s use has been limited. Demolition and replacement are intended to restore community and school access while addressing safety, hazardous‑material and ADA compliance obligations.

The board approved the contract; staff said demolition work is expected to start the following week and that further work (including replacement lighting and other field repairs) will be scheduled as separate projects.