For years there has been discussion of an upcoming construction project on the secondary campus. While most people knew it involved the stadium, the actual scope of the project is much larger, including parking, lanes of traffic and overall safety.  The Beacon has gotten a behind-the-scenes look through a press conference with Superintendent Dr. Doll, a tour with Athletic Director Mr. Luckenbaugh, access to online project plans and more. This is the first in a series of articles to inform the Dallastown Community about the project. Upcoming articles will focus on topics such as safety and ADA compliance, the effects on spring events, the financing of the project, and the history of the stadium. 

What Exactly is Happening? 

The Secondary West Campus Safety and Security Project has been in the works for nearly two years, but it has been discussed and needed for almost 16.

Starting this fall, the expansion of the upper student lot and the demolition of the current grandstand, originally built in 1958, will commence. The project will continue through spring and summer and will leave us with a more modern stadium but it isn’t all about sports. 

According to Dallastown Superintendent Dr. Doll, the stadium and parking situation have needed this upgrade for years.

“It became apparent over the past decade that the infrastructure has significant safety concerns,” Doll said. “The center section of the bleachers is the exact structure that was built in the middle of a corn field all those years ago, and it is time to address the crumbling infrastructure, improve parking and accessibility, and enhance the overall safety and security surrounding the west campus.”

In addition to those upgrades, the traffic flow and egress from the stadium is just as important for both events in the stadium and for the average school day.

“Each day we have over 3000 students and staff enter and exit the campus in a 15-minute window,” Doll said. “It has become a situation where you almost have to fight your way out with everyone funneling to one exit.”

To alleviate this, there will be more student parking added above the current student lot, a new entrance/exit directly onto New School Lane, and ultimately an extra traffic lane at the Blymire exit.

The project will cost approximately $7.6 million, and the funds were a part of a $30 million bond also used to finance the recent Loganville Springfield Elementary School renovation. 

The driving force behind this project is safety and one major aspect of safety includes ADA compliance.

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) “protects people with disabilities from discrimination”. The act provides businesses and points of public access with laws and regulations to promote accessibility for disabled people.

According to Doll, the finished product “will meet ADA standards and positively enhance the overall stadium experience for disabled persons utilizing the facilities.” ADA improvements include increased handicapped parking, fewer hills and uneven surfaces, and better handicap-accessible seating and bathrooms. 

“This stadium has been needed for years,” says Mr. Luckenbaugh, Dallastown athletic director.

What is the Timeline? 

“Phase one kicks off with improvements to the student parking lot,” Doll said.

The project construction will begin in October 2022 with Phase One. This includes the pavement and creation of over 90 new student parking spots in the field adjacent to Blymire and New School Lane. 

This additional parking will be accompanied by a second entrance/exit into the student lot off New School Lane, which the administration hopes will alleviate some congestion in the lot for both schools and for sporting events. 

This piece of the puzzle will help to accommodate the overflow of student drivers being put in the student lot once Phase Two begins. 

“Phase two will be from November until the end of the school year which is when they will be doing the primary work on the stadium,” Doll said. 

This phase will involve the demolition of the grandstand (center brick section), construction of the stadium, an additional connection from the back gym lobby to the stadium, and new teacher parking.

Because of the stadium construction, trackside parking will be pushed back and students will no longer have access to those parking spots after Nov. 1. 

“There are currently three to four rows of parking spaces that will be eliminated. “ says Doll. 

Students will also not be able to park behind the back gym lobby during this phase. 

During construction, the campus will no longer be able to be navigated in a loop.

All high school pick-ups and drop-offs will have to enter campus through tennis court hill and perform a u-turn at the back gym lobby to leave campus.

Students and staff will still have access to the Blymire entrance, but will not be able to go straight back to the gym lobby. 

Middle school drop-off will follow the normal pattern with entering off of New School Lane and exiting off of tennis court hill. 

Phase Three involves the visitor side of the stadium and will last from November 2022- April 2023. This includes the addition of a visitor-side pole building and additional pavement for visiting team parking. This should have no impact on DAHS traffic. 

Phase Four will finalize the project in June 2023. There will be an expansion of the Blymire Road entrance/exit from two to three lanes. Additionally, the final paving of all projects at this time will be completed, and the Blymire Road entrance will be closed. 

What Can We Expect? 

Initially, the traffic flow will be the most noticeable change in life at DAHS. The traffic flow will be monitored and widely publicized prior to the new rotation taking place. 

At the time of finalized completion, the school will have access to additional seating in the stadium, new bathrooms, usable field-side locker rooms, traffic flow enhancement, a new concession stand under the main seating area, better light poles/lighting, and an ADA-accessible stadium.

Additionally, gym classes will no longer need to walk through traffic to get from the gym to the stadium.

“There will be stairs so you can get to the bleachers from the gym without walking through the parking lot,” Luckenbaugh says.

Upgrades to concessions and locker rooms will also be housed under the new center section of bleachers.

“You are going to see locker rooms that can accommodate multiple teams,” says Doll. 

The new stadium will extend to where the first line of parking spots is currently located. Ultimately, this is to expand the amount of space inside the “concourse area” of the stadium.

“Our primary goal is to address safety, and this design will allow for enhanced egress in the event of an emergency,” Doll said. 

What’s Coming in the Future? 

The time period that will be affected the most will be the Spring of 2023.

Although the goal is that some track and field practices will be able to be held on the track, all spring sports events will be held on separate fields outside of the stadium or be away events. 

Graduation is set to be held indoors at the York Expo Center on May 26, 2023.

While many hoped to “save” the traditional graduation in the stadium, the administration says that is not possible.

“While I would love to host graduation at the stadium, due to the construction timeline, it simply isn’t feasible,” Doll said. “From a construction standpoint, we are being as aggressive as possible, however, there are a number of factors that can hinder construction such as supplies and weather.”

Luckenbaugh added, “Unfortunately when you do projects like this, someone is always affected. This project has been needed for years. I guess you have to focus on the positives. With the indoor venue, the date is set and won’t be changed due to weather. It’s also the earliest graduation we’ve ever had.”

The project will be completed by the time the 2023-2024 school year begins, with final touches being made over the summer of 2023. 

Ultimately…

The administration stresses that this project is one that will provide a safer and more accessible space for the community and students for years to come.

“This is much more than focusing on the stadium,” says Doll.