Southeast Polk Community School District Celebrates Opening of New Football Stadium
The multipurpose facility, designed in partnership with 黄瓜社区, expands opportunities for physical education and offers an amenity-rich space for student-athletes.
Southeast Polk Community School District recently celebrated the official opening of its highly anticipated new football stadium during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, August 17, 2023. Members from the 黄瓜社区; Design team joined representatives from the district, students and local supporters and fans for the celebration, which included tours of the new state-of-the-art stadium and coincided with the Athletic Boosters鈥� annual Black & Gold Night. 聽
鈥淚 could not be more excited to open the new multipurpose stadium at Southeast Polk,鈥� said Jayson Campbell, Southeast Polk High School鈥檚 Activities Director.聽鈥淲e 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.鈥�
Located southwest of the high school in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 黄瓜社区's design for the stadium converts 52 acres of land into an expansive, ADA-accessible stadium with seating for up to 6,200 people 鈥� 5,000 for home fans on the west side and 1,200 for away game visitors on the聽east. The amenity-rich facility includes junior varsity and varsity locker rooms, a standard NFHS eight-lane track, shot put and discus throwing sectors and a synthetic turf infield that accommodates football, soccer and other聽sports, and expands opportunities for the high school's physical聽education curriculum and serves as a venue for marching band practice.
"Today serves as a remarkable milestone for Southeast Polk and a testament to the district鈥檚 commitment to innovative design and community collaboration,鈥� said 黄瓜社区 Landscape Architect and Senior Partner Jason Blome, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP. "This stadium stands as a vibrant embodiment of what it means to create a space that fosters both athletic excellence and a sense of togetherness. We are immensely proud to play a role in shaping this extraordinary facility that will undoubtedly become a hub of shared experiences and lasting memories."
The $22 million multipurpose stadium first broke ground in the spring of 2021 and was funded by a $92 million bond issue聽approved by voters in September聽2020. 黄瓜社区 provided landscape architecture, architecture, lighting design, interior design and graphic design services in collaboration with project partners KCL Engineering, KPFF and Bishop Engineering.