The Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday approved the demolition of the deteriorated visitor bleachers at Blankenship Field.
The city’s school board on Monday unanimously agreed to demolish the deteriorated visitor bleachers at Blankenship Field.
Inspections have determined that the bleachers are no longer safe for fans, would cost too much to repair, and should be demolished immediately, a school official said this month.
“There is a very, very significant issue that we need to get on with,†said Bob Eby, Oak Ridge Board of Education vice chair, before the 5-0 voice vote on Monday.
The board hasn’t approved a replacement plan yet, but Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said the goal is to have new bleachers by the start of the next football season this fall. The school system is looking at all options in case the bleachers aren’t available by then, Borchers said.
Allen Thacker, maintenance and operations supervisor for Oak Ridge Schools, said the bleachers could be demolished in about two weeks, and the steel and aluminum will be recycled. The recycling money could be used for repairs and renovations at the field.
Thacker said it could take about four or five months to build new bleachers, not including site preparation and rebuilding a retaining wall under them. Construction work should start no later than May 1, and Thacker would prefer to begin by April 1.
The visitor bleachers now hold 3,400 people, and replacing them could cost between $350,000 and $450,000, depending upon whether the stands hold 2,000 people or 3,000. The smaller bleachers would allow a small parking lot at the field for handicapped parking, a feature that doesn’t currently exist, said Manuel D. Herz of Adams, Craft, Herz, and Walker, an architectural and engineering firm that evaluated the bleachers last year.
It’s not immediately clear how the project would be funded. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said the city does not have the money for the bleachers. He said they are used five to six times a year by visitors, and he suggested that perhaps portable bleachers, such as those used for the Rose Bowl parade, could be used. Portable bleachers could also be used for other events, such as rowing races, or regattas, at the Oak Ridge Marina, Watson said.
There is a separate initiative that has involved citizens and has been under way since at least last fall that includes more comprehensive renovations at Jack Armstrong/Blankenship Field. Supporters have said those renovations could cost several million dollars, and they would be the first major changes at Blankenship Field since 1975.
WK Hyatt says
I think the City could find the money to help out here. This is not a major upgrade, it is the replacement of worn out bleachers due to the fact that they are about 60 years old and the supports are rusted out, plus not being up to code. This did not happen just now, it has been that way for years. Temporary bleachers are not the permanent answer, they should only be used only if they could not find suitable replacement bleachers in time for this coming season, but not every year from now on. This stadium needs some major work in the future and good plans exist for this. It can be accomplished with a mixture of public and private financing and donations, so lets get started. As I have pointed out before, other cities of similar size to Oak Ridge have moved forward in fixing their old stadiums. Kingsport DB has already installed field turf, new lights, and is now in the process of installing an extra 1500 seats and new press box on their home side. Johnson City Science Hill built an entire new stadium, and on and on…Oak Ridge has one of the highest property tax rates in the state, and I wonder why just a piece of that can’t be used to help the schools to fix these bleachers the right way, then maybe we can raise enough private money to do the nice things to the rest of the stadium in later stages. If it was nice, it would complement the upgrades to Jackson Square, could be used for the Secret City Concert (would be better than in the field by the Civic Center) and it could be used more than 6 times a year, which that is wrong, it is used for freshman, JV, and Middle School games as well as the Boys Club Jamborees. It could also be used (if it is nice) for a college game on a Saturday with the City or Schools getting a peice of the revenue from ticket sales and concessions. Its not like a lot of money has been spent up there over the years, the majority of the upgrades that have been completed have been done by the Quarterback Club and Boosters Club and not with school money. Come on Oak Ridge, lets don’t fumble this, fix it and fix it right!! Farragut comes to town on August 29th.
Tom Smithwick says
I can easily diagnose a rather severe case of “football envy”. The symptoms of jealousy regarding other programs funding, capped by a fantasy regarding a college game (maybe ITT Tech vs. Tennessee School of Beauty?) are all there. Fortunately, the disease is not fatal and only can be damaging to taxpayer’s wallets.
WK Hyatt says
Really!! I will own up to that, I hate seeing what other programs are getting done to their stadiums and knowing we can’t or won’t do anything with ours, but given the age of the facility and it is what visitors see when they come to games and what they think of Oak Ridge comes from that, and the fact that very little taxpayer money has been spent up there the last 40 years, its at least time to do something about the part of it that is just plain worn out!! At some point in time you got to fix things like this. I don’t think the college game is a fantasy, it is a possibility that can be explored if the facility is up to it, it may not happen, its just a possibilty. I know that Carson Newman has in the past played at Morristown and Sevier County in early season non-conference games that have benefitted those communities. That really happened, it wasn’t a fantasy, I was there. The point I was trying to make is it is an under utilized facility. As far as the upgrades, we can try to raise the money privately, but lets fix this obvious problem now. The “don’t care” disease is not fatal either, but it is also damaging as well as Oak Ridge continues to shrink. Hey, its my tax dollars too, I pay property taxes on two houses here, and I want to see this fixed and not a halfway fix.
Joshua Hamilton says
I can see from the pictures the rusting of the supports, but I’m curious as to why the aluminum part people sit on could not be reused? Maybe they plan on going back with a different sort of bleacher.
James Lay says
I think OSHA requirements are now you have to have no openings where your feet are located. Not sure why ,maybe some child falling thru opening to ground! I agree with you, aluminum will not rust,as to why they cant be used, maybe new bleachers is the only fix! I thought the same thing. It would be nice for some upgrades at Blankenship Field. I have worked for forty years in helping in the rebuilding of Blankenship Field on my own time and money, now I am 71 years old and think the city should do there part. Helped raise funds for paved track, new restrooms, kicking net, eating area, pavilion and many other things for our sports program. I would hope you have done the same thing for our town .My two sons never played sports at Oak Ridge High, but my wife and I have raised over fifty thousands dollars in the last forty years for Oak Ridge football. We can no longer do this. City should be doing it.
Joshua Hamilton says
Thank you for all your hard work sir, its much appreciated.
James Lay says
Thanks, Josh. Only one other person has said thanks down thru the years and it was Joe Gaddis our football coach.
Kevin Rice says
Thanks James an Betty Lay for all you have done for the Oak Ridge Football Program,an many other things you have done for Oak Ridge Sports!! Thanks you Kevin Rice
James Lay says
Thanks kevin, I will try and get over to check on you next week. Hope you get well soon. We need to start work on you fund raiser. Don Bell is making plans for the drive.You get well first, buddy. Kevin has also done his part to help program.
Joshua Hamilton says
Mr. Lay, there is a petition going around that explains why they are scrapping the whole bleacher assembly. Apparently they want to install permanent seating. That makes more sense lol 🙂
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-city-of-oak-ridge-and-the-oak-ridge-board-of-education-maintain-blankenship-field-and-jack-armstrong-stadium-and-replace-visitors-seating
James Lay says
The work that has been done by Quarterback Club at Blankenship Field should have been done by the city. I would hope its time for city to step up to plate and do the right thing,please no portable bleachers . . Bleachers on home side are very rusted away also, the metal brackets holding up the bleachers bad shape. Blankenship under utilized and cast aside. Town pride ,where is it? Who is accountable for letting stadium go down like it has?
Harry Pruitt says
The funding issue……. If I recall correctly the BOE is still resisting paying their share of the high school mortgage. That is about $376K per year. That would be more than enough to replace the bleachers. Perhaps a bit of soul searching by the BOE might be in order. Artificial turf, club seats?? No thank you. Those are wants, not needs..We got carried away with the $67M high school. Let’s not make the same mistake again. Good common sense needs to come into play.I can certainly support that.
Linda Wells Mabry says
Question, the article states ” the recycled aluminum could be used for repairs” … This seems like the only option to me. Does anyone know of any reason it would not be placed back into the stadium? Is the City doing the demolition? There is quite a bit of aluminum involved and I hope we (taxpayers) will be informed how much revenue is made
johnhuotari says
Linda,
I believe Allen Thacker said school maintenance workers would be doing the demolition. He said the school’s labor costs are already factored in.
I presume any information on how much the recycled aluminum sells for would be a public record.
WK Hyatt says
Demolition has already started and in progress. School Maintenance have removed several rows of upper part of the bleachers. Hopefully, there will be an approved and funded plan soon for the replacement of the bleachers and not the “temporary bleachers” solution of the City Manager.