20 years in the making, Southeast Polk's new stadium opens in a sea of black and gold
The Rams' new home is finally here.
The Southeast Polk Community School District staged a grand opening for the district's new multi-purpose stadium on Thursday. The $22.1 million stadium will hold competitions and games for football, soccer and track and field, be part of Southeast Polk's cross country course and host events for band and dance.
The stadium project, which was hit with construction delays last year, was 20 years in the making and moved closer to reality when voters approved a $92 million referendum for several construction projects in 2020. Officials said Thursday the stadium, with a bold ram statue standing guard out front, will now serve as a symbol of unity for the district and its five communities.
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"The Southeast Polk spirit is ingrained in this facility as it is in all of us," school board president Lori Slings said at the event.
The stadium was awash in black and gold as a crowd packed in for the grand opening, which doubled as a pep rally, with appearances by athletes and band members on the new field.
The stands have the capacity for 6,200 spectators — 5,000 for the Rams, 1,200 for visiting teams — while athletes have access to new modern training facilities.
The stadium is south of the high school in Pleasant Hill, and a pedestrian tunnel under Martha L. Miller Drive connects the school with the stadium.
"This terrific addition to our beautiful campus will meet the needs of our students and serve as a source of pride for years to come. We are so grateful for the support of our community in making this project a reality," Superintendent Dirk Halupnik said in a statement.
The new stadium comes with concession stands on both the home side and the visitor side. There also are 106 toilet stalls.
The project replaces an original stadium that was first built in the 1960s, which had a press box remodel in the 1990s and bleacher expansions in the 2000s. The old stadium will now serve junior high students.
"I could not be more excited to open the new multipurpose stadium at Southeast Polk," activities director Jayson Campbell said in a statement. "We are grateful for the support of the board of directors, administration, and the community to provide our students and athletes with a first class facility."
The first football game in the stadium will be Sept. 8, when the Rams take on Prairie High School from Cedar Rapids.
The 2020 referendum has already funded classroom upgrades and improvements at the district's softball stadium. Projects that are in progress include a grounds warehouse and a new school building for grades six and seven. Future projects include a new elementary school and converting the Spring Creek 6th Grade Center into district offices.
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Southeast Polk's new stadium opens across from high school
