Plans for an outdoor sports stadium at Larkin High School in Elgin moved forward Monday night with the District U-46 School Board tentatively signing off on $14 million in contracts for the project.
Pending final board approval on Jan. 26, contractors are expected to start construction on Feb. 9 with the goal of having it substantially finished by Sept. 4 in time for fall sports, which includes football, boys soccer and girls flag football.
Larkin, built in 1962 at 1475 Larkin Ave., has a track and practice fields but is the only one of the five U-46 high schools to not have an outdoor sports facility on its campus. The school’s football team initially played home games at Drake Field off Hastings Street and later moved to Elgin High School’s Memorial Field.
Wood Dale-based George Sollitt Construction Co. is to be awarded a $10.8 million contract to do the bulk of the work, which includes installation of a synthetic turf field with running track, home and visitor grandstands, press box, locker rooms, concession stand with restrooms, and a picnic shelter, according to district documents.
Georgia-based FieldTurf USA Inc. will be paid a little more than $1 million for the synthetic field turf and a running track, which will be sourced through a cooperative purchasing program, according to documents. Florida-based GT Grandstands, based in Florida, will receive $2.03 million for bleachers that will seat 2,314 people — 1,556 on the home side and 758 for visitors — and a press box.
Sheila Downs, U-46 assistant superintendent of operations, told the board that there are longer lead times right now for turf and grandstands.
“As we are bringing this to the board in January, we feel we are in a good position to have both the turf and the grandstands in time for the completion of the stadium project,” Downs said. “If there are any delays that would impact our plan, we would definitely relay that information.”
Documents state that while the project was originally estimated to cost about $12 million, the price tag is now closer to $15 million, according to consulting architectural firm Arcon.
The increase is attributed to additional requirements imposed by the city of Elgin in October during the planning and zoning review process, the document states.
Those include an upgrade to ornamental fencing along McLean Boulevard instead of the chain link fencing originally planned; construction of a brick building for locker rooms, a concession stand and restrooms rather than concrete blocks; and installation of additional landscaping sod along both sides of McLean Boulevard adjacent to the new fencing.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
