School Town of Munster previews $25 million field house, highlights timeline and community access

School Town of Munster officials on Jan. 27 reviewed detailed designs, schedule and budget estimates for a proposed multi-sport field house intended for athletics, practice space and district professional-development functions. Staff described a program that includes a full-width synthetic turf area, multiuse courts, a 60-meter straightaway, an expanded 8,500-square-foot weight room and co-located administrative/professional-development offices.

District presenters said the project’s hard construction costs are currently estimated at about $23,000,000, with approximately $2,000,000 in architectural fees, for roughly $25,000,000 budgeted overall. They identified major cost drivers as underground water detention, utility relocations and new electrical, gas and water service. Staff said design choices (for example, using a pre-engineered metal building and converting surface detention into a detention pond) are intended to lower those site-work costs.

The board heard program details intended to maximize flexibility: movable tennis nets on casters, divider curtains to separate turf and courts, garage doors for access to the turf, and storage designed for bulky items such as high-jump pits. Presenters said some existing spaces would be repurposed (for example, the current high-school weight room could be converted to wrestling practice space) to reduce duplicate uses.

On schedule and phasing, staff said they aim to complete the parking work by Aug. 20, 2026, and that the field house would be a roughly two-year project from the start of construction. The team cautioned that the schedule remains contingent on typical construction variables, permitting and utility relocation work.

Officials discussed operational details tied to safety and circulation: separate bus and car drop-off areas, gated circulation options, and a release strategy so buses hold and release students together to reduce unsafe passing. Technology staff described running fiber and conduit during construction so the district can add cameras and other systems without future demolition.

The district acknowledged rental demand for turf and facility time and said the field house could be rented when not needed for school programs. Any outside user would need to follow the district’s facility-use process, which staff described as requiring a certificate of insurance with minimum limits cited in the meeting as $1,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate, plus principal signoff for use. Staff emphasized the facility’s primary purpose would remain school use and extracurriculars.

Board members asked about aesthetics and durability; presenters described a brick base with insulated flat metal panels above to echo campus architecture and keep costs down compared with full precast options. The district showed examples of similar completed projects and emphasized trade-offs between cost, maintenance and appearance.

Staff outlined an outreach plan to explain the project to residents before major construction: digital and social media assets, a community open house series, and the possibility of a mailed postcard/newsletter to every household. The team will return with cost estimates for a mailer and additional renderings and video assets.

No formal vote or motion was recorded in the Jan. 27 discussion. The board directed staff to continue refining designs, provide cost estimates for outreach, and coordinate next steps with the architect and utilities.

Ending: Staff said they will provide updated cost estimates and outreach plans to the board in a subsequent meeting; construction phasing and final schedule remain subject to permitting and utility coordination.