Construction crews at Memorial Stadium will be busy today putting the finishing touches on the grandstand and press box area, a major facelift that enhances its overall appearance.
Fans weren’t able to sit in the new grandstands during last Friday’s football and soccer intrasquad scrimmages. Naturally, an unfinished grandstand could pose as a safety hazard, so it was closed off.
“It’s a construction site,” Great Bend High School athletic director David Meter said. “We would have liked to have it all finished and showcased for the scrimmage.
“We wanted everybody to get used to sitting on the west side. I think everybody, for the most part, understood. You’ve got to do what you can with construction. You never know how long things take.”
Great Bend entertains St. Thomas Aquinas, out of Overland Park, in the season opener Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7. The upgraded stadium then will be unveiled.
“It’s going to be finished, and it’s going to be a nice-looking facility when its done,” Meter said. “I was out there (early Monday morning), and they’re working on handicapped seating. They’re putting numbers and letters on the seats, and taking care of some small details underneath, like some concrete work.
“We’ve got a ticket booth to put in, and there’s a lot of little details left to get done, but it will be done.”