Cheltenham SD outlines $12 million high school stadium upgrade, aims for summer construction
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Summary
At a Feb. 4 Facilities Committee meeting, KCBA Architects presented plans for a high school stadium renovation that would add artificial turf, an eight-lane track, larger bleachers and new support facilities. The district has pre-purchased key long-lead items and expects construction to begin after school ends if permits are approved in May.
At the Feb. 4 Cheltenham School District Facilities Committee meeting, Jim Kiefer of KCBA Architects presented design, procurement and schedule details for a planned high school stadium reconstruction the district estimates will total just over $12 million with construction targeted for summer 2025.
The project would replace the grass field with artificial turf, expand the track from six lanes to eight with a synthetic surface, add new bleachers that the presentation said would roughly triple current seating, and build a new gatehouse with toilets and concessions. Kiefer said a priority is improving stadium security to better control entry and exit during large events.
Kiefer described procurement to date: bleacher materials were purchased last fall for “just over a million dollars,” an electrical transformer was pre-purchased for $38,000, and the district received bids this week for the artificial turf and the synthetic track. He identified Millerfloor as the apparent low bidder for turf/track and said that bid was about 2% above the project budget estimate. Total construction cost shown in the presentation was approximately $10,600,000; including soft costs the total project was described as “just over $12,000,000.”
On schedule, Kiefer said the district planned to put the remaining scope out to bid on Feb. 17 with a four-week bid period, and to begin construction as soon as school is out in June pending final approvals. “That is the goal. That is what we are telling contractors to anticipate when they bid the project,” Kiefer said. He added, “We are telling the contractors they need to be done by August 25. The first football game is the 20 ninth, so we're on a tight schedule.”
Facilities Committee members pressed on timing and logistics. Committee member Ross Whiting asked whether the district remained on pace to complete work before the football season; Kiefer reiterated the turf, track and bleachers are the highest priorities because the district can host games if support buildings are still being finished.
Members of the public who joined online raised schedule details and contractor selection. Novice Ezell, a Glenside resident and parent, corrected the game date cited in the presentation and confirmed the August home-game schedule; Michael Brooks of Elkins Park asked about outreach to minority-owned contractors and potential state-level consequences for DEI-related initiatives; board President Dr. Scriven asked Brooks to submit the concern by email for follow-up.
Next steps described in the presentation include returning to the committee with bid results and a recommendation for contractor approvals after the multi-prime bidding (general, electrical, plumbing/mechanical) concludes. Kiefer noted the district is still working through permanent approvals with the township and county and expects those approvals in May.
The Facilities Committee did not take formal action on the stadium project at the Feb. 4 meeting; the presentation outlined procurement already completed and the upcoming bid schedule and permitting steps for the committee and board to consider.
