Contracts Awarded to Build Mel Nusbaum Football Stadium

TOLEDO, Ohio — Sylvania School District officials awarded construction contracts on Feb. 10 for the new Mel Nusbaum Football Stadium at Southview High School in Toledo. Weather permitting, construction should begin on March 3, with completion scheduled for fall 2014.

Board members unanimously approved six bids for just under $1.2 million, about $60,000 below budget. Alan Bacho, director of facilities, and Kurt Miller, of Miller Diversified Construction of Maumee, had finalized the bids, according to the The Toledo Blade. Maumee-based Feller, Finch and Associated designed the football field.

Louisville, Ky.-based Dave York Sports was awarded an $843,000 contract, which includes refurbishing the home bleachers for use by visiting teams and will seat 1,040 people. The current visitors side, located on the east side of the field, will be changed into home bleachers for 2,780 seats and a press box. New fencing, excavation and a scoreboard, which can accommodate a video screen, are also part of the project. The new stadium design will keep the current track and field at what is currently known as Cougar Stadium.

The Spieker Company of Perrysburg was given a contract of about $104,000 for concrete work, and a $73,000 contract was awarded to Lake Erie Electric of Bowling Green for electrical work. Gradel of Toledo will pave the site under a $95,000 contract; Toledo Fence and Supply Company will provide fencing for about $41,000; and Sports Equipment Sepcialists of Cleveland will install the scoreboard for about $42,000.

The stadium will be named in memory of Toledo lawyer Mel Nusbaum after the Nusbaum family and friends donated $500,000 to the project. Additional funding for the project will come from the capital improvement fund from the sale of land behind Timberstone Junior High School, totaling $625,000. An additional $100,000 raised from scoreboard advertisements and another $100,000 of in-kind donations for construction material will also be used towards the project.

The stadium is a part of a long-term $11 million athletic field upgrade plan at Northview and Southview high schools. School district officials said building a stadium at Southview was necessary, as Southview’s football team is currently playing games at Northview.
As part of the upgrade plan, a practice football field was completed at Northview last summer. In addition to the practice field and Southview stadium, the athletic field plan also includes a softball field and additional parking at Northview, construction of new softball and baseball bleachers at Southview, upgrades in concession stands and restrooms, and an expansion of Northview’s weight room.