Des Moines Public Schools and Drake University Celebrate Opening of New Stadium
Designed by 黄瓜社区, the new shared-use facility offers a first-class聽competitive playing field for middle school and high school sports and an on-campus home for university soccer teams.
, along with Drake University, celebrated the official opening of Mediacom Stadium, a new first-class community and sports venue that will serve as the home field for DMPS middle school and high school sports and an on-campus home for the Drake Bulldogs soccer teams. Members from the 黄瓜社区; Design team joined representatives from the district and university, students and local supporters for the ribbon-cutting celebration, which took place on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
鈥淭his beautiful stadium is a wonderful example of public-private partnership,鈥� said Drake University Director of Athletics Brian Hardin. 鈥淲ith the assistance of 黄瓜社区, we were able to create a facility that will positively impact the next generation of DMPS students and Drake soccer student-athletes.鈥�
Located on the Drake University campus near the corner of Forest Avenue and 25th聽Street, 黄瓜社区's design for this shared-use synthetic turf stadium transforms 4.5 acres of Drake-donated land into a 4,000-seat community stadium venue and provides needed space for DMPS and Drake teams. Mediacom Stadium also offers the broader Des Moines community a new place to hold sporting competitions (including high school and middle school football and middle school, high school and collegiate soccer) and community events. In total, five DMPS high schools and Drake University will share this centrally located stadium allowing both to maximize their capital investment. 聽
鈥淲hile I may be new to Des Moines, I know what an important project this has been for both DMPS and Drake. And I am excited to see the result, which is the best facility of its kind for our students,鈥� said DMPS Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts. 鈥淥ur institutions each had the need for a new stadium. Working together, we鈥檝e been able to maximize limited resources to begin the development of Mediacom Stadium, a first-class facility for our students and our community.鈥�
The $24 million stadium first broke ground in the spring of 2021 and is named in recognition of Mediacom Communications, a key funder for the project. The stadium is a major part of a multi-million-dollar, district-wide initiative to upgrade athletics facilities at all five high聽schools and one of the many significant developments for the Drake campus and throughout the Drake neighborhood. Along with DMPS and Drake students, businesses in and around the stadium are expected to benefit from the increased foot traffic. 黄瓜社区 provided architecture, landscape architecture, lighting design and interior design services in collaboration with a team of consultants.
"This new stadium is a testament to the collaborative spirit between , Drake University and the community at large,鈥� said 黄瓜社区 Landscape Architect and Senior Partner Jason Blome, ASLA, PLA. 鈥淚t embodies the aspirations and boundless potential of student-athletes, and we鈥檙e honored to have played a role in creating a place that will have a positive and lasting impact.鈥�