DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton Public Schools (DPS) said plans are in the initial stages to renovate and upgrade Welcome Stadium.
Welcome Stadium is host to DPS and University of Dayton football games, but the stadium’s condition is deteriorating. DPS has announced initial plans to renovate and update the stadium.
“It’s a grand old stadium, but it’s an old stadium,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lolli said in a Zoom press conference with the local media. “The seats there need to be refurbished. The cement going up the stairs going into the stadium need to be refurbished. The restrooms are antiquated. The concession stand areas need to be upgraded. The locker rooms look like Newt Rockne played there.”
While it is structurally sound, Welcome Stadium was built back in 1949, which is why Lolli is calling for a full makeover.
“The entire set of turf that’s there is older,” she said. “It’s been maintained very well over the years but it does needs to be replaced. And the track actually has bubbles in it. It actually can be hazardous to our runners if we use it.”
Lolli said her school district received $13.5 million from the Ohio Department of Education, but estimates the total cost of the project will be more due to elevated building costs due to the pandemic.
She’s hopeful the project can help the city host more Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) events and bring back a sense of pride for Daytonians.
“Welcome is a great stadium facility because of the way it was built originally, but it’s seen its better days,” she said. “And now we want to make sure that its future have even more better days ahead of it. And that the community is proud of it and the community can come and enjoy it.”
The timetable for the project hasn’t been decided as details are still being finalized, but Lolli said DPS hopes to have a construction firm hired by September, and is hopeful that construction can begin in November.
