Legends Stadium bleachers to get upgraded
An additional $30,000 will be allocated to improve bleachers in the visitor’s section at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
About 45 feet will be added to the bleachers this summer, according to Glacier High School Activities Director Mark Dennehy. Volunteers will complete the work. Dennehy said bleachers in both the home and visitors sections will undergo annual maintenance.
The decision followed a 5-1 school board vote with trustee Bette Albright opposing the recommendation. While Albright agreed that more bleachers should be added if it was due to a safety issue, she said it should have already been covered by money set aside for the renovation.
Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Mark Flatau said the money is available in the high school bond and felt it was a minimal amount to address some safety issues in a timely manner.
School district Director of Business Services Gwyn Andersen said the recommendation was made in order to fulfill the remaining project listed for Legends as part of the $28.8 million high school district bond issue. Those items included: “renovating the existing athletic field, improving the bleachers and associated improvement to the facility.”
“I think as we get to see more use of the stadium, we’ll want it,” said school board chairman Lance Isaak.
Initially, the school district had estimated spending $958,100 on Legends Stadium upgrades, when the bid to install artificial turf came in at $964,318. By the time the Legends renovation project was completed, an additional $10,099 was pulled from the student activity fund and a $14,000 donation from Three Rivers Bank covered costs to install a high jump, second pole vault, two sand pits and relocate a manhole discovered underneath the field’s 30-yard line.
Other projects in the high school district bond issue include renovating Flathead High School, H.E. Robinson Agricultural Center and Linderman Education Center. Glacier High School is slated for deferred maintenance improvements only.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.