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Complex plans advancing
By Mark Johnson
A new soccer complex appears to be in the Raytown School District’s immediate future with the Board of Education approving a plan last week that would have a local company, Hillside Materials, grade the site in exchange for rock on the property, which is east of Westridge Road and north of Missouri Highway 350.
“Now that we have the board’s approval, we will be meeting with the architect and contractor and get started as soon as possible,” Dr. Lee Updike, who is providing project assistance, said.
The soccer complex will be ready for the start of the spring 2009 season, if all goes as planned, said Dred Scott, executive director of Support Services.
The complex will serve as a replacement to the soccer field at Raytown South High School, which was lost with the current expansion of the Herndon Career Center East Campus.
The expansion was triggered by the coming retail development in the Highway 350 corridor, east of Raytown Road.
Funding from the retail development will pay for the final stages of work on the complex, in addition to engineering.
When the work is done, Raytown High School is also expected to call the complex home.
Scott said there have been long-standing concerns about field conditions, traffic and parking around the soccer field at Robinson Elementary, which is currently used by Raytown.
“Why not get the most bang for our buck?” Scott asked.
The complex will have a total of three fields, two for practice, one for competition.
Scott said there would also be room around the competition field for the installation of an eight-lane track, if the district decided to move in that direction at a future date.
“We’re trying to be forward thinking,” he said.
The details:
In addition to providing grading for the Raytown School District’s new soccer complex, Hillside Materials has agreed to grade a pad site for a future school, in exchange for rock on the site.
School Superintendent Dr. Dale Houck said this aspect of the project could be worth close to $1 million in future site development costs.
Raytown Editor Mark Johnson can be reached at 358-6397 or mjohnson@npgco.com.
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“Now that we have the board’s approval, we will be meeting with the architect and contractor and get started as soon as possible,” Dr. Lee Updike, who is providing project assistance, said.
The soccer complex will be ready for the start of the spring 2009 season, if all goes as planned, said Dred Scott, executive director of Support Services.
The complex will serve as a replacement to the soccer field at Raytown South High School, which was lost with the current expansion of the Herndon Career Center East Campus.
The expansion was triggered by the coming retail development in the Highway 350 corridor, east of Raytown Road.
Funding from the retail development will pay for the final stages of work on the complex, in addition to engineering.
When the work is done, Raytown High School is also expected to call the complex home.
Scott said there have been long-standing concerns about field conditions, traffic and parking around the soccer field at Robinson Elementary, which is currently used by Raytown.
“Why not get the most bang for our buck?” Scott asked.
The complex will have a total of three fields, two for practice, one for competition.
Scott said there would also be room around the competition field for the installation of an eight-lane track, if the district decided to move in that direction at a future date.
“We’re trying to be forward thinking,” he said.
The details:
In addition to providing grading for the Raytown School District’s new soccer complex, Hillside Materials has agreed to grade a pad site for a future school, in exchange for rock on the site.
School Superintendent Dr. Dale Houck said this aspect of the project could be worth close to $1 million in future site development costs.
Raytown Editor Mark Johnson can be reached at 358-6397 or mjohnson@npgco.com.