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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — An anonymous donation of $350,000 means new home bleachers are set to be built at Stan Stoczen Stadium in Independence.
Coupled with a further donation of voluntary labor to demolish and remove the existing, outdated bleachers, spectators at Independence Local Schools’ Alumni Field at Stan Skoczen Stadium will enjoy the new facilities from the start of the fall athletics season.
With a final price tag of more than $1 million, the project to replace the existing bleachers — which have been failing inspections — has been a district priority for over a decade.
Work is set to begin in late April with the demolition of the existing bleachers. Construction of the new seating is scheduled for June and July.
The work will be done by Dant Clayton Stadium Seating, the firm that built the visitors’ bleachers in 2014.
“As a district, we are grateful for the generosity that continues to show up from community members,” Assistant Superintendent Tom Dreiling said.
“This bleacher project was an area of concern recognized by a family in our community. They wanted to help address the problem and made a very generous $350,000 donation.
“We are also fortunate to have additional community members involved offering their services, free of charge, to demolish the existing bleachers.”
The new bleachers will seat 1,200 spectators in a 21-row home grandstand. An expanded 8-foot-by-48-foot press box will feature four rooms for the visiting team coaches, home coaches, filming/press, and public announcing and the scoreboard operators.
Marching band members will have reserved seating in the first section; the two center sections will be for general seating, including a senior citizen area; and the far-end fourth section will become the new student section.
Three staircases and one ramp will provide ADA-compliant accessibility.
Superintendent Ben Hegedish added: “It’s important to note that the district is paying for this project out of funds from the permanent improvement levy that residents approved in November 2023. These funds can only be spent on capital improvements, maintenance and certain long-lasting equipment — not general operations.”
With the donation of both money and labor, the district will only need to contribute about $330,000 from its permanent improvement fund.
“This donation is propelling a long overdue upgrade that will provide fantastic new amenities benefiting our students, families and entire community for many years to come,” Hegedish said.
“We are extremely grateful.”
Read more from the Parma Sun Post.
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