New restrooms, concession stand planned for softball field

A new concessions facility and restrooms will greet softball fans next spring when the Newton Cardinals return to the field.

The Newton Community School District Board of Education voted night to move forward with the proposed design during their regular meeting, approving schematic designs for the second phase of construction at the softball field.

Rachelle Hines with FRK Architects + Engineers was on hand to answer questions about the proposed facility. The schedule Hines presented to the board had a proposed November start date for construction of the $387,925 facility, with a scheduled completion date of April 21, 2019.

To fund the project, the district will use funds from Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, also known as SAVE funds. The money, which is generated from a local option sales tax, is intended to be used by school districts for infrastructure projects.

The building, located on the third base line of the softball field, is designed to make it possible for parents and volunteers working at the concession stand are able to see the action on the field, something Hines said was an important factor in the design.

“A lot of volunteers and parents work at the concession stand so it’s important to have that visual,” Hines said.

Board members praised the proposed design, Robyn Friedman said she is happy to see the design would allow volunteers to still follow the game.

“It looks like a solid design, I love the idea of making sure you can see the scoreboard from the concession stand or being able to see the field,” Friedman said. “It wasn’t super convenient to not have this, but I’m glad we were able to have the field last year.”

Although the softball field was completed in time for the beginning of the 2018 season, NCSD Superintendent Bob Callaghan said the district wouldn’t have been able to construct the concession stand and restroom facility within the same timeline. To get by this year, the district purchased a mobile food truck for concession operations and placed porta-potties on the site. Restrooms at the nearby football field were also opened up for fans to use during games.

“There just wasn’t enough time,” Callaghan said, during an interview last week. “(There were) too many issues with restrooms, plumbing and the kitchen facilities to get it done in time.”

The building is designed to be easily winterized when not in use, although Callaghan said there has been discussion about making the restrooms available for fans to use during home football games as well.

The timetable Hines showed board members Monday shows the next step for the project is to send the proposal out for bids, which will happen in October. With a projected November start date for construction, the facility will be ready to welcome players and fans back to the facility this spring.

On Monday, Callaghan praised the work of the design committee for providing valuable input to the project.

“This went through many, many phases,” Callaghan said. “We’ve added things to the outside of the building, and we went back and forth. It’s a well thought out project, I think.”

Peta

On Monday, the board also confirmed the hire of Kyle Peta, who will take the reins of the boy’s varsity basketball program this fall. Callaghan told board members Peta has more than a decade’s worth of experience.

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com