SHELBY — After voters twice rejected the notion of building a new football stadium in Shelby, the future of W.W. Skiles Field downtown has yet to be determined.
The stadium will remain in its present downtown location, according to Lori White, president of the Shelby Board of Education. However, she said the stadium’s structural integrity and aesthetics need to be addressed.
“In an effort to determine the feasibility of keeping Skiles Field as a football facility, the Board of Education is authorizing the district to conduct a study to determine, not only the immediate needs of the stadium, but the long-term needs as well,” White said.
The study will include, but not be limited to:
• a cost analysis and plan to keep the current home concrete stands and to bring the structure up to code.
• a cost analysis and plan to raze the concrete structure and to build a new structure, either concrete or aluminum.
• a cost analysis and plan to replace the restroom facilities and concession stands.
• a collection of data and information to develop a viable plan for the long term needs of the playing field, locker rooms, parking, etc.
• a viable plan for the long-term needs of the playing field, the locker rooms, and parking.
“We can’t make any promises one way or another for how this is going to go,” White said. “We would love to keep the stadium where it’s at, if that’s feasible.
Shelby Superintendent Tim Tarvin had previously stated keeping the stadium downtown was not an option due to safety concerns as well as unrealistic costs to build in a flood zone.
“There’s been a lot of banter about how much it costs,” White said. “We need numbers; we can’t make any decision until we see real numbers from an objective third party.”
District officials first introduced the idea of constructing a new football stadium on the November 2017 ballot. The stadium issue was paired with the bond issue of building a new PreK-8 building that failed three times to pass.
When the issue was first introduced in 2017, architects estimated a brand-new athletic facility would cost $2.8 million.
“An outside, independent agency has inspected our football stadium, and they told us in the spring (of 2017) that the life expectancy of this stadium is four to eight years,” Tarvin said.
The district’s original plan for a new new turf football stadium would have run north to south where the academic wing currently stands at Shelby Middle School, at the corner of W. Smiley Ave. and Sunset Drive.
Shelby voters rejected the district’s first attempt at passing a levy to build a new school and a new football stadium on the Nov. 7, 2017 general election. Official results from the Richland County Board of Elections showed 2,263 votes (58.63 percent) against the bond issue, and 1,597 votes (41.37 percent) for the issue.
Following the first election, a survey created by Shelby City Schools with the assistance of the Ohio School Boards Association showed the community was divided on building a new stadium, but definitely did not want a stadium at the proposed location. The survey was distributed from Dec. 20, 2017 through Jan. 3, 2018 and received 700 responses – approximately 5 percent of the 3,860 people who voted on the issue in the November election.
An updated plan moved the football stadium to the north end of the campus, where the track currently resides. The new field would have been built in the center of the track, a concessions stand and bathroom facilities would be constructed, and 400 new paved parking spaces would have been added.
However, the issue was rejected again on the May 8 primary election. Official results from the Richland County Board of Elections showed 2,229 votes (62.04 percent) against the bond issue, and 1,364 votes (37.96 percent) for the issue.
