School district finds economical solution for storage garage at H.A. Lynn Stadium

Storage capabilities underneath the visitor’s side bleachers on the east side of H.A. Lynn Stadium will no longer be available after the new bleachers are installed, prompting the Newton Community School District to look for ways to build a standalone garage somewhere on site.

Maintenance supervisor Jack Suttek told school board members on July 14 that after setting up meetings with the district’s architectural firm, coaches and the athletics and activities director, he proposed the school save upwards of $40,000 by being its own general contractor and building a storage facility.

“It’s a 30-by-60 steel building,” Suttek said. “Football has the biggest equipment so they needed a 10-foot door. We’re going to cross the bridge on how we’re going to design the inside. Ryan (Rump) is still talking with coaches, but they want some individual cages and storage shelves and stuff like that.”

According to school documents, the storage building will cost less than $25,000 through Menards’ “Design & Buy” program, a service that lets customers plan and visualize home improvement projects. Suttek said it will then cost another $15,000 to $20,000 to build the garage. The concrete slab is about $18,000.

“We’re looking at getting that thing done for $63,000,” Suttek said. “…To have a contractor build that for us, it would have cost us over $80,000 plus the slab. So you’re looking at a $20,000 to $40,000 savings. One stall will be for the football field drag, the mower, groundskeeping equipment.”

The other two-thirds of the building will be used for coach storage.

Suttek said the district wants to be proactive in finding new space before losing its storage when the new bleachers are built, while also saving money.

Ryan Rump, the athletics and activities director for Newton schools, said he will be reaching out to coaches to get feedback on what they want to see as far as shelving, designations and the best use of the building. Suttek said the building will be located against the fence near the long jump pits and storage sand piles.