$60 Million Texas HS Stadium Closed (due to extensive cracking)

[JonLP24]

ALLEN, Texas -- A $60 million Texas high school stadium that got national attention for its grandeur and price tag will be shut down indefinitely 18 months after its opening, school district officials said Thursday.

Eagle Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Allen will be closed until at least June for an examination of "extensive cracking" in the concrete of the stadium's concourse, the district said in a statement Thursday. The closure will likely affect home games at the stadium this fall, the district said.

<snip>

Built in 2012 as part of a $120 million bond issue, Eagle Stadium seats 18,000 people and sports a 38-foot-wide video board. Eagle Stadium's opening was a moment of triumph for the community of Allen, a fast-growing Dallas suburb that has become home to a high school football powerhouse. The Eagles won the Class 5A Division I state championship last year.

District officials defended the cost -- an eye-popping figure even in football-mad Texas, home to hundreds of schools playing under the "Friday Night Lights" -- by calling the stadium an investment for generations of future Eagles fans and a much-needed upgrade from the district's previous 35-year-old field.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id/10528972/cracks-force-closure-60m-stadium-allen-texas

[Berlum]

1. Well there you have it

[PeteSelman]

2. Skilled labor isn't cheap.

Cheap labor isn't skilled.

It's not just a slogan.

This is a scab state.

[rocktivity]

5. Not even the most skilled labor can compete with

Last edited Wed Sep 16, 2015, 04:01 PM - Edit history (1)

cut-rate building materials and loose building regulations.


rocktivity

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. While I am not commenting on the stupidity of spending 60 million on a stadium,

this is Texas. We have clay. My 5-year-old home is a mess of cracks here and there.

My son's HS has a high-end stadium that was expanded upon 3 years ago. Guess what? It has cracks. They closed it in the off season (much like Allen) and did structural analysis. It happens here. This is being boosted up because of the cost of the initial build (which was crazy), but it's not really a story to me.

[Kingofalldems]

4. Probably no regs on the construction companies at all

What's worse is spending 60 mil on a stupid football stadium for children.

One of the many reasons I hate football.

[TexasTowelie]

7. I know it is easy to criticize spending that money, but here is some perspective to keep in mind:

Their previous stadium was too small. The Allen school district has over 18,000 students enrolled and grew rapidly within the past couple of decades. The population in Allen increased from about 2,000 to 8,000 between 1970 and 1980, then to 18,000 in 1990, to 43,000 in 2000, and up to 84,000 in the 2010 U.S. Census. The high school enrollment is at 5,000 and the high school band has over 600 members.

The construction of the stadium was approved by the voters in a bond election. It is also the venue used for graduation ceremonies and I believe that the Allen school district has leased the stadium for other events including concerts. The median income in Allen is $95,000 per year and the other facilities in the district are in great shape. The school district also offers elective classes that aren't found at many districts nationwide. As an example, these are the elective courses offered at one of the middle schools in the district:
http://www.allenisd.org/domain/1197

I admit that the stadium is extravagant (particularly the video screen), but criticizing the administration for being frugal with their other programs is not being honest. I don't know all of the details, but it's possible that the state could have redistributed the local property taxes under the state "Robin Hood" law. So I can understand why the residents in the school district would prefer to keep the money within the district rather than sending it to Austin.

[Kingofalldems]

10. Sorry but high schools do not need football stadiums

IMO. A simple field with bleachers on either side is plenty. I have my theories about football and Texas which I will keep to myself.

[TexasTowelie]

11. So you want wooden bleachers when there are crowds up to 18,000 attending?

From someone who has an insurance background, that's a recipe for liability lawsuits. I can't forget the number of times that people tripped on the spaces between rows or when objects were dropped and hit people underneath the bleachers.

I've attended games (since I was in the band) at nearly 100 stadiums (or fields) across Texas and I know how uncomfortable it is to sit on the old style wooden and metal bleachers compared to concrete. I've even had a few splinters in my backside. In addition, the newer stadiums are more accessible to those with disabilities since they have elevators and ramps that are not feasible with other construction materials. Remember that people are going to that stadium for other activities beside football such as graduation ceremonies and the school district could actually be liable if the facilities are not compliant with the ADA.

I also noted that within the past few years more school districts are moving towards using artificial turf due to the cost of maintaining grass fields and the amount of water being used. I marched across many fields that have bowls depressed into the ground (it was difficult to stay in formation marching up and down through the bowl), are pock-marked with cleat marks or simply had no grass at all. For the safety of the athletes (and anyone else on those fields), I can understand the reasoning behind upgrading the facilities.

The school districts that are building the more extravagant facilities are either property rich or in one specific case that I know, a large donation was made by a resident in the community to pay for upgrades to the facilities. If those are the facilities that the people vote for, then it is comes off as arrogant for others to tell them what they can or cannot have, especially if they can recoup the costs by leasing the stadium for other events.

Please understand that it is nothing personal since I used to feel the same way regarding the athletics vs. academics argument. However, being absolute about this issue reminds me of that line, "why can't we have nice things?" The people in the Allen school district wanted that stadium and it's there for the keeping, warts cracks and all.

[Kingofalldems]

13. I get where you are coming from.

My thoughts on football in Texas and other states would be called a conspiracy theory by many. But if I ran things, football would be a very minor part of school life.

[TexasTowelie]

14. I'm interested. What ideas do you have that would improve the overall experience for students?

Unfortunately I can speak from personal experience to say that there isn't nearly the same amount of student or community support for the math team (I went to state competitions all four years of high school) or the band (yeah, we were pretty bad).

As for myself, I went to a university that suspended the football program in 1950 and they didn't start playing again until this past fall. There was tremendous support from both the university and the community. Their first football game drew a crowd of nearly 6,000 (breaking a conference record dating back to the 1960s). The enrollment at the university is only 1,500 (60% women) to provide some perspective. When I went to the Homecoming game the attendance was at least 3,000 and this is for a NCAA Division III team (no athletic scholarships are provided) that went 0-10 for the season! I am talking about a team where every participant would be considered as a "walk-on" and the team had 100 men sign up.

As easy as it is for people to downgrade athletics, the return of the football program brought out pride in the community (population 50,000) and on campus. There were record crowds at Homecoming and in turn, donations to the university increased. The overall mood of the students seemed a lot more positive since there was actually "something to do" on the weekends and the students didn't leave the campus every weekend. The businesses in town quickly jumped on board sponsoring the team. The local radio station also maintains a Website and they broadcast a live feed that had nearly 7,000 people viewing the games (there are only about 13,000 alumni that are alive).

Simply stated, the fact that the university re-instituted the football program benefited the overall community. The university licensed their logos to various small businesses and sales of memorabilia were through the roof. The university did not construct a stadium, but contracted with the local school district to use their stadium so the revenue was beneficial to the entire community. It might take a few years before the university recoups the initial investment in the football program, but in the end I believe it was a good business decision that generated a lot of awareness for a university that relied primarily on its academic reputation.

Now it is up to the students to form a large enough group to have a marching band--the 20 or so students that played in the bleachers were a reminder of my high school band and I know that there are plenty of musically gifted students enrolled.

[Kingofalldems]

15. I would emphasize academics with learning critical thinking as one aspect.

Most sports would be intramurals. The fat cats behind the scenes would never accept this, especially the first part.

I would refer you to a George Carlin rant on SS and education Youtube has it.

[TexasTowelie]

16. For Allen High School an intramural program might work due to the overall enrollment.

However, it probably wouldn't be successful in at least half of the high schools in Texas. For most of the athletic programs in my high school, there were barely enough athletes playing to form a second team so it would difficult to sustain an intramural league. My current gripe about the Texas UIL system for athletics is that there are so many different classifications that the travel requirements are burdensome. There is one division that has two teams that are 384 miles apart (a school near Lubbock is playing a team near El Paso). The high school I attended has a district opponent that is 140 miles away.

As far as the teaching of critical thinking is concerned that is really discouraged by the exams that the students are required to take each year. However, I blame that on crappy legislation more than on the existence of athletic programs. The teachers are required to teach the knowledge necessary so that the students pass the tests rather than develop critical thinking skills.

I know a number of people between 17 and 30 years old and there are some bright students graduating. The youngest son of my best friend just learned that he is a National Merit Scholarship finalist and his two older brothers are exceptional students in the engineering departments at UT. The oldest of those three brothers was not only strong in math and science, but he was also involved in band, debate, persuasive speaking and one act competitions. Obviously, it is difficult to become a strong debater without critical thinking skills.

Overall, when I'm out in town shopping or buying food, I'm impressed with the students that entered the work force. There are some exceptions that make me want to jump behind the counter and show them how to accomplish a task, but it seems like this generation of future workers are doing better than most of the people that graduated school from my era.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. This Texas HS football mom who has seen it do a world of good for her young son

appreciates that. Thank you.

[madinmaryland]

6. Hmm. There will be an architectural firm and a structural engineering firm that will be in

deep shit right FUCKING now.

[TexasTowelie]

9. See post #8. nt

[TexasTowelie]

8. Lawsuit Filed Over Structural Problems at Corsicana's Tiger Stadium

A lawsuit has been filed over another North Texas high school football stadium because of structural problems.

The top 15 rows at the Corsicana Independent School District's Tiger Stadium are now closed.

Engineers assisting the district with the lawsuit made the safety recommendation this week.

In a letter sent out Friday, the district's superintendent said engineers recommended closing off seven rows of bleachers but the district decided to close 15 rows.

Engineers say some of the columns under the home-side bleachers can only support about half the weight required by the building code.

The cost of construction of Tiger Stadium was $18 million and was complete in September 2006. Concerns about the stadium issues were reported in September 2013.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/Lawsuit-Filed-Over-Structural-Problems-at-Corsicanas-Tiger-Stadium-247925581.html