Norwin stadium demo project set to begin in early November

The long-awaited $25.4 million demolition and rebuilding of the Norwin Knights stadium is scheduled to begin early next month, as long as the fall sports teams are no longer using the field, school officials said Monday.

Norwin Superintendent Natalie McCracken said following the school board meeting that the contractors can begin work on the project the week of Nov. 3, or the following week, if necessary.

The high school girls soccer team has a home playoff game on Thursday, but no playoff games are scheduled for November at this time, McCracken said.

Although there is a large amount of concrete in the home grandstand to be demolished and the two-story section above the stadium that holds space for a press box and coaches, McCracken said the contractor told school officials that they will not be using a wrecking ball.

A retaining wall will have to be constructed during the project so that the hillside holding the parking lot behind the home grandstands does not slide away, said Bill Bojalad, school board president.

While the home grandstand will be rebuilt, there will be space for a press box, a coaches’ viewing area and community meeting rooms above a main entrance on Norwin’s side of the field. The bleachers on the visitors side of the stadium will not be replaced, but it will be renovated to improve accessibility for those with disabilities.

The project also will entail replacing the existing turf field and the track surface that circles the field. A new concession stand and restrooms will be included in the project. The ground floor underneath the bleachers will have space for training facilities.

The work is scheduled to be completed in summer 2027. The construction project will force Norwin to find alternative places for its spring teams to play their 2026 season, as well as their 2027 season. Norwin’s football team, soccer teams and field hockey will have to find other places to play.

Mike Burrell, Norwin’s athletic director, said he is looking at schools close to Norwin where it can play its “home” games while the construction occurs.

The school board has been talking about the need for a renovation to the 60-year-old stadium for the past several years because of the deteriorating condition of the structure. There were cracks in concrete and mold had formed in the ground floor where equipment was stored, forcing the district to have it cleaned.

Although there were studies that concluded the grandstand had to be replaced, the cost of the stadium project sparked opposition from some school board members. The project was approved by a narrow 5-4 vote in April, with the opposing faction favoring a scaled-down version of the project that might cost around $16 million.