Spectators at Friday’s Winfield High School Blue and White Scrimmage might arrive at Richard L. Jantz Stadium and find a surprise waiting.
The stadium is still under – in some places way under – construction.
"How people see it now might be a lot different than how it looks in a month," says Southwestern College athletic director Dave Denly. "But that’s OK, it’s ready to use."
The stadium was supposed to be ready for the fall football season, and, in some places it is, says Pat Steward, an engineer for the city.
Steward says the west plaza area, press box and the upper portion of the main grandstand are ready for the scrimmage. The city will grant a conditional occupancy permit so that the public can congregate or pass through places where Jantz Stadium is finished.
There will be spots where people can watch the Blue and White Game, city officials say.
Steward says the facility’s main grandstand can hold about 1,800 people as is, or about two thirds of its capacity.
But there won’t be public access to the field, visitor seating, or concession stand areas, Steward says. The plaza area south of the field is also under construction.
"Those areas aren’t accessible by any pathway," says Steward, who is visiting the site multiple times this week to monitor progress. "There are areas where it is still very much a construction site."
Denly acknowledges that work on the project fell behind at times but expects the field to be worked on when it’s not in use. He couldn’t say exactly when all work will be finished.
A number of activities are scheduled at the stadium – which replaces the old Sonner Stadium – in the coming weeks. A soccer game is planned for Sept.2 as the first official game and the Cowley Cup is set for just over a week later.
"You wait a couple extra days for a subcontractor to get in and do so some work and that puts another contractor a week behind," Denly said. "We had some delays."
