Leechburg's Veterans Memorial Stadium a step closer to getting artificial turf

Leechburg Area School District has moved a step closer to replacing the grass field at 73-year-old Veterans Memorial Stadium with artificial turf.

The district’s school board voted unanimously last week to seek bids Nov. 13 to install the artificial turf and modernize the field’s drainage.

Over the summer, the board approved a line item of $560,000 for the proposed stadium project. It also OK’d spending up to $140,000 on improvements at the district’s baseball field in West Leechburg.

Both projects would be paid for with money from a $7.5 million bond issue the district took out nearly two years ago.

Much of the money has gone toward renovations at the complex that houses grades K-12. New roofs were added, classrooms were painted and updates were made to industrial arts, science, technology and home economics classrooms. Outside street curbing and inside security measures also were added.

The Blue Devils football team, plus the boys soccer team which has a cooperative agreement with Apollo-Ridge, are the main users of Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Kiski Valley Lancers youth league football team also has used the field on occasion.

AXIS Architecture PC will display drawings of the field proposals at the Nov. 13 school board meeting.

Leechburg Area sought bids on renovating portions of the football field, including the locker rooms and coaches’ offices last year, but the bids came in too high.

If all goes as planned, the Blue Devils football team played their last home game on natural grass Friday, a 50-43 win over rival Springdale.