Construction is expected to start toward the end of June for new features at Dunning Stadium, including an entranceway, ticket booth and “Donor Wall,” officials say.
It’s unclear just when power will be run to another widely anticipated feature—a new press box, according to New Canaan Athletic Foundation Chairman Mike Benevento. However, the stadium’s PA system will be functioning through this coming fall football season as well as New Canaan High School graduation 2024, he said.
New planned press box Dunning Stadium. Renderings by Richter & Cegan
Asked by the Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting whether fundraising still needs to be done to build the new press box itself, Benevento said yes.
“The project can‘t go forward unless we have $2 million sitting in the bank when we sign a contract,” he said at the selectmen’s May 2 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
The New Canaan Athletic Foundation or “NCAF” anticipates raising a good portion of the funding by selling naming rights for the press box, Benevento said.
The agreement between the town and NCAF gives the organization the ability to ask for naming rights, he said.
“So the current—I think I had talked about this in January when I came before you—the current plan is to rename the Water Tower I turf the ‘Lou Marinelli Youth Football Complex,’ ” Benevento said, referring to the longtime NCHS football coach. “We are fundraising for that and that has been super helpful. The one piece that we’re also offering is to name the press box and the Athletic Foundation on the board level put a $500,000 price tag on that. We had a family that I was pretty sure would commit to that. They will not likely go $500,000—they will still contribute to the campaign but they will not pursue the naming rights. We have a second and third person that is pursuing the naming rights, so from my perspective we have plenty of opportunity for that. But that is a big chunk of money that is not currently sitting in our account. But I think we’ll be able to get it.”
The comments came as the selectmen approved contracts totaling $217,650 with three design and engineering firms to prepare construction documents for the work at Dunning. According to the meeting agenda, the design work also will include “preparations for the Concessions Area, Home and Away bathrooms and Campus area in order to create an Enterprise Zone.”
The funds will be paid for out of an annual town contribution of $300,000 for the NCAF, officials said.
The selectmen asked Benevento and Public Works Director Tiger Mann who is the project manager of the Dunning work (Mann), whether one of the design contracts is with the town or NCAF (NCAF, as it stems from a master plan created a few years ago), how revenues from the Enterprise Zone are split with the town (net revenues go into a turf replacement account, as do half of the $25 player use fee collected for youth and recreational sports, with the other half going to an “enhancement account” for projects such as the work at Dunning), What is the balance of the turf replacement fund ($47,000 before the 2022 sweep) and whether there are sufficient funds there (another $75,000 to $100,000 is expected).
Mann noted during the meeting that the town obtained a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals recently in order to retroactively gain permission for the 7,000-square-foot of coverage needed for stadium complex that had not been secured.
“Our [town] attorney asked us to go forward and make it all legal, so we went forward and got retroactive approval for the prior coverage plus the small amount [of 7,000 square feet],” he said.
Here’s a video regarding the press box at Dunning:
I understand that football is the end all be all for NCHS. I am sure I will turn friends into foe. However, enough with the over the top sports money spending. I have always had a problem with the fact that football, lax, baseball, not just in NC, is where the $ goes. There are many kids out there who don’t play these sports. Take the squash, rowing , ski, tennis, golf etc clubs/teams. They get practally $0 from any funds. Years ago when I was solicited by the NCAC to the tune of $250(8 years ago) , I was told the money goes to all the teams. When my sons
entered NCHS they joined the ski team and the NCHS crew team. One also played soccer. At the time, a friend of mine worked closely with NCAC and she told me they money I donated doesn’t go to any of the sports my kids play, at the time soccer hardly saw a dime. That was the first and only time I ever donated.
The ski team racers had to purchase their own race suits, then we’re asked to donate them, because they are so expensive and some kids could not afford them. While the “big ticket teams pretty much get anything”. When my boys were at the high school, less than 2 years ago, the rowing club received no money, the ski team is basically being told they may have to discontinue since parents fund the whole thing and it is getting expensive. Conversations with athletic director falls on deaf ears as much as they like to say money is distributed evenly. We had a conversation, with a name I will withhold, but basically told us that if it were up to him he would get rid of the “club teams”. Well folks, personally I would rather have a whole community of high school kids have their sports funded, with the press box money the town contributed to the athletic fund, then a handful of football, lax and soccer teams.
Any town resources for educational facilities should be divided amongst STEAM subjects/activities equally. Full stop.