Crestwood stadium field cleared for practice; full project could require nearly $6 million more than field-only allocation

Crestwood High School’s new football field and track were released for use after a substantial-completion walkthrough, and district staff told the finance committee that completing the broader stadium scope could cost significantly more than the funds initially allocated for athletic fields.

The nut graf: while the playing surface and track are open for practice, district staff emphasized that a range of optional and recommended additional work — expanded seating, a concessions/restroom/field-house structure, parking upgrades, fencing and LED lighting — remains unfunded and would require further board direction and bond funding.

Procurement and operations staff and board members inspected the site Feb. 14. According to the district report, bleachers on the home side were replaced and the previous home-side bleachers were moved to the visitor side; staff said an additional 800 visitor seats were requested but the athletic director suggested the actual need might be closer to half that number. The district provided cost estimates during the briefing: regrading and resurfacing the bus-parking area to add parking was estimated at about $900,000; resurfacing an alternate bus-parking area was estimated at roughly $210,000; replacing older perimeter fencing was estimated at about $22,000 (or about $10,500 to repaint); installing fencing around a pond about $9,700; and converting stadium poles to LED lighting was estimated at roughly $300,000.

Spearman gave a consolidated estimate for completing all discussed components and options: "For a total, those things, everything ... All of those costs come to $3,959,000. We've already spent $1,986,000 on the books related to Crestwood," she said, and staff later presented a full potential project total of $5,945,305 for all phases. The district noted that the only item formally approved in the earlier allocation was the field itself; additional work would require future bonding or board direction.

Board members pressed for clarity about earlier allocations; a board member noted that the original athletic-fields allocation was intended for districtwide upgrades (tracks and fields) and did not specifically anticipate the Crestwood scope. Staff said Crestwood work used monies from the athletic-fields allocation because that money was available when the project began.

Ending: Staff said they will convene follow-up site meetings every few weeks and will provide the board with the coaches’ equipment/wish list and associated dollar estimates so the board can determine which additional phases to fund in a future bond.