Jay Stadium getting upgrade

MERRILL - Jay Stadium will be getting a major facelift in time for the kickoff for the prep football season this fall.

The renovation of the field, home of the Merrill High School football team, was announced Thursday morning. The major focus of the project is the installation of an artificial field turf playing surface.

The project also includes upgrades to the stadium's concessions stands, restrooms, entryways and scoreboard and the resurfacing of the track and improvement to the long jump pits at the facility. It is the first upgrade at Jay Stadium since the mid-1990s and the project cost is estimated at $2.5 million.

The Bierman Family Foundation, which supports projects and causes throughout the Merrill area, donated $2 million toward the renovation, which is expected to begin in early June and be completed by the start of September. Merrill superintendent Walter Leipart said $180,000 of district funds had already been earmarked for the project and the remaining amount is covered by private contributions.

"We are very thankful to the Bierman Family Foundation and various other contributors who made the Jay Stadium renovation possible, and we are excited to move forward with this important project," Leipart said in a news release announcing the project. "With more than 2,600 student participants and 5,000 spectators using Jay Stadium each year, this renovation will have a positive impact for both our high school students and our community."

Leipart said the renovation project has been discussed for two years with the playing surface at Jay Stadium becoming a concern.

"We had irrigation and drainage systems under the natural grass surface that had deteriorated and caused an uneven surface," Leipart said. "We've had some things that we've had to do to try and kind of put a 'band aid' on it until we could plan for the complete renovation of the field. It was really becoming a safety issue for the players."

Merrill football coach Dominic Sturm said with the number of divots and rolls on the playing surface that, '"you could look across the field and it would look like a wave with no real flat area on it."

Leipart said the artificial turf will also allow for expanded use by the school's physical education departments, marching band and also the Bluejays boys and girls soccer teams. The two soccer programs currently play their home games off campus at the Merrill Area Recreational Center.

"I think it's going to be a combination of both sites (for the soccer program)," Leipart said. "I think there is a footprint at the MARC (for soccer), and I don't think we want to completely walk away from that. But, certainly we want to have the opportunity to have soccer games on the high school campus."

The improvements to Jay Stadium also open the possibility of Merrill being a host for a WIAA state semifinal football games given the artificial turf playing surface.

"We could be a neutral site for playoff events and there also is a lot of appeal for teams to get on to a surface like that in the early season, whether for a scrimmage or nonconference game," Leipert said. "A lot of teams will go over to a place like UW-Stout for their facility. We could be another showcase place for that."

Tim Johnson can be reached at 715-845-0731 or at timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com. Find him on Twitter @timmyjo11.