City, school board support $2.5M athletic facility

High school football games would remain at Mack Hummon Stadium, according to school officials.

“It’s exciting times in Oakwood,” schools Superintendent Kyle Ramey said.

Chris Eifert, president of the Oakwood Athletic Boosters Association said the group initially looked at installing new turf at the current stadium, but plans evolved as the city and donors expressed more interest.

“There’s going to be a lot more opportunities, and quite frankly with track and field, now being a viable opportunity down there and lacrosse coming on board, it just makes a lot of sense to go with a more comprehensive project,” Eifert said.

The land for the proposed stadium is in the city of Dayton and would need city zoning approval, said Oakwood officials. Mayor William Duncan said he has been in touch with Dayton’s interim city manager about the project. Dayton’s reception so far has been favorable, Duncan said.

Oakwood has also discussed parking with Cox Media Group, whose offices are adjacent to the proposed location of the athletic facility.

Twenty individuals, families and friends of Oakwood Athletics have contributed to the project, according to the presentation made at Monday night’s city council meeting. A significant portion of the $1,730,000 raised was donated by Doug and Gay Lane, members of the Oakwood High School Class of 1963.

The boosters organization on Tuesday plans to start the Building New Traditions fund-raising campaign and hopes to meet the $2.5 million fund-raising goal by the end of this year. Construction would start in 2016, Eifert said.

“Once it’s built, then the school would assume full responsibility for the maintenance, for the upkeep, and taking care of it,” Ramey said.

Officials began discussing the project in 2014 when the boosters approached the school district to discuss a privately funded stadium.

A 10-member Turf Task Force was formed in 2015 and included representatives from the school, city and boosters.

A 2010 master plan identified the need for a multi-purpose artificial turf athletic field and track with spectator seating.

According to the proposal presented at the council meeting, the facility would include seating for 1,000 and would be used by about 400 student athletes.