By Mary King, Staff Writer
From the January 24, 1985, edition of The Salem Times-Register
Spartan fans will be watching Salem high football in a new 8,000 seat stadium this fall if plans remain on schedule, according to Salem City Manager bill Paxton.
A council-appointed committee recently approved the preliminary designs for the stadium and anticipates the filed will be ready for the first 1985 Salem home football game against Amherst County on August 31.
Paxton said the committee “was very pleased with the preliminary plans,” which include 5,000 home seats, 3,000 visitor seats, special parking areas for football officials and player buses, and additional parking for 1,300 spectators. He, laughing, added that the” only changes made were minor ones, such as where the flag will go.”
The 20-acre stadium/parking lot will be located on property at the Salem Civic Center.
The preliminaries also call for press boxes on both visiting and home sides and a score board capable of producing electronic messages and animation. Seating capacity can also be expanded to 10,000 seats for future needs.
“It is going to be an outstanding football stadium,” said Salem High Athletic Director Dale Foster. He added the natural grass field will improve playing conditions by 100 percent and that the filed, which will be sodded, irrigated and drained, will allow for safe playing conditions.
The new stadium should also please spectators disappointed in Municipal Field because of poor viewing conditions and long ticket lines.
“We are trying to design the stadium not only for the players but also for the public,” Francis A. Shane, owner of Kinsey, Shane & Assoc. said. “We are trying to make it easy to come to Salem and see a football game.”
Shane added that seating will range from a low of seven feet above the playing field to a high of 58 feet. “All the seats are good seats with a good view of the playing field,” Shane said.
Spectators will enter the bowl-shaped stadium through the concourse area at an elevation of 15 feet above the playing area. Five ticket booths, concession stands, and public restrooms will be located in the concourse area for easy public access.
The field will be equipped with lights for night games, however, it has also been oriented for good sun angles, according to Shane, to allow for day games.
“It will be the best high school facility in the state,” Foster said. “The facility is needed. We should have had it 10 to 20 years ago.” He added that “people in Salem deserve a good stadium.”
The stadium will primarily be used for football,” according to Paxton. “it may be used for other occasions, but it will not be an ideal filed for soccer,” he said. “We would have to widen the field to allow for soccer play.”
My instructions are to build a football stadium,” Shane said. “The stadium will be an ideal field for football. It will not be an ideal field for soccer.”
City council granted their approval of the football stadium in November upon a recommendation made by Paxton. In a Nov. 2 letter to council members, Paxton noted several problems in using Municipal Field for both baseball and football, including scheduling conflicts and poor playing conditions. He estimated the city could save $18,000 to $24,000 a year by not having to convert Municipal field to a football field.
The city attempted to construct a new stadium 10 years ago, but plans were put on the back burner until other city projects could be completed.
Although the city has not released figures on the proposed cost of the football stadium, the city is expected to finance the project through a small, public improvement bond payable in 10 to 15 years.
Shane expects to have final plans completed and ready for bidding in March and is shooting for an opening date of this fall. “That’s going to be pushing it- super, super pushing it,” Shane said. “But that’s our target.”
-Prepared by Shelly Koon
