SPARC to get massive upgrade this spring

CONNEAUT – The SPARC complex has risen from the crumbling foundation of a Depression-era football stadium.
Over the span of nearly two decades, the site of Municipal Stadium has been transformed with new bleachers and a press box, restrooms and a concession stand. The facility then became a true complex with the addition of tennis courts, a soccer field and an all-weather track.
Construction on the latest upgrades to the home of the Spartans’ football program are slated to begin this spring.
A locker room, ticket booth and public restrooms will be constructed and the natural grass field will be converted to a turf field.
“This all started with a master plan almost 20 years ago,” SPARC Committee member Chris Brecht, who is also a member of the Conneaut Area City Schools Board of Education, said. “It’s had some changes and updates over the years, but this is going to be a very big piece. It’s going to be very, very visible to the public. We’re literally changing the overall look of the complex. We’re even changing the gate that people will come in through. (The construction) will change the whole look. It’s something people will see when they come in.”
“We literally started with tents for locker rooms,” Brecht continued. “Even earlier this year, we had Porta Johns over there. We’ve literally gone from not having our own tennis facility, not having a track and having an unsafe football facility, to being one of the best facilities. We have a track and can host the All-County track meet. We can host tennis matches. We have two lighted facilities and, with the turf, we’ll be able to host flag football tournaments and soccer tournaments.”
The current restrooms reside on the home side of the stadium and those will remain in use. The new restrooms will simply add to the number of stalls available at the complex.
“We’re going to add a family restroom so if someone has an elderly relative or children, they’ll be able to go in there and assist their loved one,” Brecht said. “We’re more than doubling the number of stalls in the restrooms. The ticket booth won’t be a wooden shack anymore. We’ll have a locker room for the officials. We were having to take them over to the high school after games so they could shower. We’re adding a training room so kids can get taped before games. We’ll have storage so we can keep the equipment and mowers and everything we need to maintain the complex.”
Before construction can begin, there are a couple of steps that still need taken.
“We’ll be meeting with Planning and Zoning,” Brecht said. “We’ve been working closely with the city. We still need to go through the process of getting approvals. We’ve been working with the city from the beginning to make sure everything meets the code.”
If all goes as planned, construction should begin in the next couple of months.
“We really hope to break ground in April,” Brecht said. “That’s what we’re shooting for, at least.”
The SPARC committee’s wish is for the facility to be completed by the start of the fall sports season in August.
“Installing the turf is an eight-week process,” Brecht said. “Barring a major catastrophe, it should be finished. The construction portion of the project is block buildings, so I assume it will be ready (for the start of the fall season), but I can’t promise that because we haven’t even broken ground yet.”
The anticipated cost of the project is $2.4 million and will be paid for with donations.
CACS Athletic Administrator Tony Pasanen noted that Chris Ricaurte is a big reason the project is moving forward.
“Chris Ricaurte is generously funding the new locker room and turf field,” Pasanen wrote on social media. “What he is doing for our athletes and community cannot be expressed enough in words. He is proud to be from Conneaut and wants our student-athletes to be, as well.”
“If you look at some of the other districts around us, they have to go to the taxpayers for money,” Brecht said. “When you look at not only Chris, but the countless number of people who have offered support for the last 20 years, it’s amazing. Chris matching all donations allows us to look at the soccer side with track and, also, the tennis courts. It allows us to double our dollars and move forward with future phases.”
Brecht and the SPARC Committee are grateful to have donors continue to aid in turning the complex into a top-of-the-line venue.
“Obviously, we want to thank Chris Ricaurte and all of the others who have donated throughout the years,” Brecht said. “The original SPARC board, guys like Mike Joslin, Nick Iarocci, Jerry Eighmy and Mark Wheeler, got this all started years ago.”
“(CHS Athletic Administrator) Tony Pasanen has gone above and beyond since he became the AD,” Brecht continued. “He’s formed a whole new group of people to start fundraising on a grass-roots level. Because of that, you’re going to see opportunities for everyone to participate. They’re going to have some community events and fundraisers that will allow everyone to be involved.”
The latest construction will not be the last to be completed at the complex.
“This isn’t the last step,” Brecht said. “This is going to feel like we’ve buttoned up the football side of the complex. There’s still more to do, but this will feel like the last big piece is in place, so that’s super exciting.”
“Our hope is that once the football complex is completed, we can move back across the street (to the soccer and track complex),” Brecht continued. “We’d like to put in a permanent concession stand and a press box and some seating. Right now, we don’t have adequate seating for soccer. We’re also looking at getting our own timing system so we can host qualifying events at the facility without having to rent the equipment. That’s the next phase.”