VW Board hears stadium project update

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

In a sense, it’s back to the drawing board for Eggerss Stadium.

During Thursday night’s special meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education, Howard Benson of National Community Development Services told board members that, based on two main factors, he currently recommends no campaign be launched for a proposed $1.3 million renovation project at the historic downtown stadium.

The project would jump to $4.3 million if it included adding a baseball and softball complex at Van Wert High School.

Benson’s findings were included in a detailed 13-page report to the board, which was missing two members at the meeting — Scott Mull and Tom Losh.

He noted that, because the board is currently unwilling to seek a bond issue, revenue needed for the project would fall far short due to a lack of large corporate or business donors. He also said there’s currently no support to have Eggerss Stadium included in a downtown renovation plan.

“I would have liked to have brought more encouraging findings, I would have loved to have said we can do this, the time is now, let’s get it going,” Benson said via a video hookup. “The leaders who can provide the leadership funding for this, and the enthusiasm to put this campaign across, they’re just not at the table with us and that is unfortunate.”

Benson did add that a modest bond issue and a supplemental fundraising campaign would make the project become a possibility, but Board President Anthony Adams said the board’s top priority is to fund the operations of the school district.

“Right now we’re forecast to go into the red in a year or two and there’s a good possibility that the district may have to go to the taxpayers for operations,” Adams explained. “To do that on the back of an athletic bond issue could be suicide.”

“I’m not saying we wouldn’t support putting a bond issue for athletics on the ballot, I’m just saying the board will need to be really careful how we proceed with that to make sure we aren’t putting the future funding of the school district in jeopardy,” Adams added.

Board member Debby Compton said the report serves as an eye opener, while fellow board member Rachel Dickman said the information is a useful tool.

“If we do go out for a bond (issue), we don’t want to overtax — we don’t want to ask for more than we would need for this project,” Dickman said. “The other thing to keep in mind right now is the economy.”

Adams later said the next step is to meet with the Stadium Committee and review the findings in the report, then have the committee figure out the best way to move forward.

Several community members, including Van Wert City Councilman Jeff Agler, were at the meeting and asked various questions about community support and a possible bond issue.

A survey done in 2017 showed overwhelming support to renovate Eggerss Stadium instead of building a new on at the high school complex. After that, more than 37 community leaders were interviewed and gave a divided opinion about the viability of a fundraising campaign.

In 2018, $300,000 was spent on new 1,000-seat visitors bleacher section and other improvements, after the old bleachers were found to be unsafe for fans. Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton noted that other cosmetic improvements have been made since then.

While Eggerss Stadium is in need of other improvements, Adams said a structural engineer said it’s a strong structure.

“It’s 90-year-old concrete and it won’t last forever without some significant renovations to it, but it’s certainly not going anywhere,” Adams said.

To read Benson’s full report, click here.