The field has been dug up, the seats have been removed and all that remains of Jacksonville’s historic Tomato Bowl is the façade as renovation gets underway.
The historic face of the beloved stadium still sits above downtown Jacksonville, but now it is surrounded by fencing and construction equipment.
Inside the stadium where the field once was, there is nothing but a massive stretch of mud and red dirt. A forklift is moving giant cylinders, as workers prepare to install a new drainage system.
The new field will be turf, which doesn’t hold water, Superintendent Chad Kelly said.
Kelly said residents aren’t all happy about the demolition portion of the project.
“It feels like progress,” he said. “Some community members find it hard to stomach. I think it’s a necessary evil for the good of the stadium.”
When the stadium reopens in April 2019, the field will be moved 40 yards to the east, the seating will be updated and expanded on the visitor’s side and have new locker rooms for home and away teams.
Kelly said other organizations also will be able to rent the stadium for tournaments.
“People will actually reserve this stadium for more than just football games,” Kelly said. “They’ll stay here in our hotels, eat at our restaurants.”
Kelly said the guaranteed maximum price for the stadium renovation came in under budget, so the board of trustees will be able to decide if they would like to move forward with renovating the junior high school weight room with the extra funds.
Also included in the $20 million bond was renovation and expansion of the high school’s career and technology education.
Kelly said that project was moving along nicely and the first portion, the agricultural science building, will be ready for the next school year. The remaining CTE areas for medical sciences, engineering and other career-oriented education will open in spring 2019.
