Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

School Board Votes to Move Joint District/University Stadium Project Ahead

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 06/02/20

Last November, Des Moines-based Drake University and Des Moines Public Schools jointly unveiled plans to build a new $19.5 million athletic stadium in the middle of the city. The facility would host football and soccer for the district's 15 middle schools and high schools and serve as the home field for the university's "Bulldogs" soccer teams. The school system is applying $15 million in sales tax revenue budgeted for a stadium. Drake is donating the land to the district as well as $4.5 million for construction and will handle stadium management once the facility opens.

An illustration of the aerial view of the stadium.

Early plans for the "Des Moines Public Schools Community Stadium at Drake University" called for a seating capacity of 4,000 and the possible inclusion of a "bubble" that would enable the stadium to be used in winter months. The new venue will also include new locker rooms for home and visiting teams, a team store for both district high schools and Drake, multiple concession stands and restrooms, a press box and a playground.

The district made the decision to invest in a new stadium rather than upgrading its existing stadiums at each school because the construction project made "better use of school district and community resources" and would result in a facility that would be comparable "in quality to neighboring school districts." District estimates suggested that upgrading current stadiums to those standards would cost around $60 million. Existing playfields will still serve for practice and bringing feeder school programming to the campuses.

Recently, Des Moines' school board approved a resolution to continue work on the stadium. The board also established an athletic facility committee, peopled by staff, student and parent representatives and intended to provide "guidance and recommendations" on investments in athletic facilities to address needs over the next five years. The committee is expected to produce a report for the board by October.

"Our school district is home to thousands of students who participate in athletics, and we need to do more to make sure they have access to quality facilities while maximizing our limited resources in public education," said Kyrstin Delagardelle, chair of the school board, in a statement. "This process will enable the school board to get meaningful input from a wide range of stakeholders so we can make plans to best serve our students and community."

The current plan is for the facility to be completed and ready for use by the summer of 2021. However, construction hasn't begun yet.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.