School district reveals new plans for grandstand

The Blaine School District is finalizing plans for a new grandstand at Blaine High School that will seat more than 1,900 people. Illustration courtesy of the Blaine School District

The Blaine School District presented plans at a September 20 community discussion for its new high school grandstand, which it plans to complete in time for football season next fall.

The new grandstand, designed by Bellingham-based Zervas Architects, will have more than 1,900 seats, including wheelchair accessibility. That’s about 700 more than the current grandstand, which frequently fills up and has accessibility and other issues.

The grandstand will be just under 44 feet tall and made of concrete and aluminum. Restrooms, a concession stand and mechanical and electrical rooms will be underneath the seating area.

Moving the grandstands from the south to the north side of the field isn’t popular with everyone but makes sense for a variety of reasons, school district

officials said.

It will cost less to extend water, sewer and electrical lines to the north side of the field than the south. By placing the grandstand on the north side, closer to restrooms in the high school, the school district can build at least a dozen fewer bathroom fixtures at the new grandstand (per building code) and save a lot of money, said school district facilities supervisor Alan Pomeroy.

Also, the new grandstand has a bigger footprint than the current one, and if built south of the field, would take up more of the field space that P.E. classes and sports teams use for practice, Pomeroy said.

The new grandstand is funded by a $12 million levy passed this year that allocates $3.1 million for the project.

The school district also plans to install field turf on the field, but that won’t happen before 2020.