New facilities....where?

[PanthersWildcats86]

Manteno is in the process of replacing the its weight room. The Booster Club pushed a project which removed all the old equipment, redecorated the weight room - new paint, flooring, etc. - and all new weights and equipment are being installed this week. The original weight room was part of the 20ish year old "fieldhouse" building south of the track/stadium and west of the main gym, which includes the football locker room - it was the last main physical structure needed prior to starting football at MHS. (Remember, the prep years the Panthers played football prior to going varsity they had no bleachers, which was another fundraising effort in 2002)...

Who else has had significant new facility improvements this off-season?

 

[stella16]

Wait until everyone sees what is happening on 35th street

 

[EdgyTim]

Yeah DeLaSalle was soooooo needed and should be really nice when completed. Others? Northwestern to start go check that bad boy out.

 

[woody6]

After installing turf fields in all 4 D228 schools (BR, TP, HC, OF) a couple of seasons ago, modest "fieldhouses" are under construction on those smallish-properties.

 

[tomloner]

St. Rita broke ground on a fitness center. Volleyball team will be on the road for six weeks while the gym gets a new floor and make over. And a new structure going up in the baseball complex with new locker rooms with the construction of the John McNicholas Baseball Clubhouse, named in honor of John McNicholas. John was a member of the Class of 2013 and a former St. Rita Mustang baseball player who tragically passed away at the age of 15 from a brain tumor. Thanks to loyal support of donors, St. Rita is poised to construct the pre-eminent high school baseball clubhouse, locker room and concession facility. It will be located along the left field line of Mike Zunica Field. With lacrosse, rugby, track, and baseball all going strong at same time the locker rooms were a mad house.

 

[ramblinman]

Next month, Loyola will break ground on Phase 1 of a two-phase expansion. The first phase will involve demolishing the existing pool building and replacing it with a larger one. Aesthetic enhancement will be made to the area in front of the gym entrance. Parking lot improvements will also be made.

Phase 2 will involve building a new theater in the parking area directly south of the west gym. The existing tennis courts will become parking and new tennis courts will be built further south and will be directly west of the southbound entrance to the Edens Expy. Phase 2 will also involve connecting the east and west wings of the school through the north end of the student center, which sits in the middle of those two wings.

 

[CPSFan]

Gately Stadium is thinking about, maybe, possibly, some time in the future replacing the 30 year old chalk boards in the locker rooms.

 

[ramblinman]

Gately Stadium is thinking about, maybe, possibly, some time in the future replacing the 30 year old chalk boards in the locker rooms.

Would that be before or after CPS replaces 40 year old Robeson HS with a new $85 million high school?

 

[superac777]

Would that be before or after CPS replaces 40 year old Robeson HS with a new $85 million high school?

They are still fighting that as they are worried about rival gangs.Dangerous ghetto getting new school if they can figure out the gang situation while beautiful new high school in white suburbia closed

 

[CPSFan]

They are still fighting that as they are worried about rival gangs.Dangerous ghetto getting new school if they can figure out the gang situation while beautiful new high school in white suburbia closed

Wow, from chalkboards to ghettos vs white suburbia. That escalated quickly.

 

[SportsGuruDB]

Next month, Loyola will break ground on Phase 1 of a two-phase expansion. The first phase will involve demolishing the existing pool building and replacing it with a larger one. Aesthetic enhancement will be made to the area in front of the gym entrance. Parking lot improvements will also be made.

Phase 2 will involve building a new theater in the parking area directly south of the west gym. The existing tennis courts will become parking and new tennis courts will be built further south and will be directly west of the southbound entrance to the Edens Expy. Phase 2 will also involve connecting the east and west wings of the school through the north end of the student center, which sits in the middle of those two wings.

I always wondered if Loyola planned on adding more bleachers to the football field. The one time I was there (LA/Homewood-Flossmoor playoffs in 2015) both stands were packed and people were watching from the fences. I know the highway limits some of what they could do but I think they should at least stands to hold another 1-2k.

 

[ramblinman]

I always wondered if Loyola planned on adding more bleachers to the football field. The one time I was there (LA/Homewood-Flossmoor playoffs in 2015) both stands were packed and people were watching from the fences. I know the highway limits some of what they could do but I think they should at least stands to hold another 1-2k.

I can't speak for LA, but I can't imagine that adding more permanent seating is on their radar screen. Every now and then (mostly playoffs), Loyola fans and the opposing team's fans will exhaust the available seating. Trust me, it's rare...even for playoff games. I just can't see them adding permanent seating to accommodate those rare instances.

I attended the Loyola/New Trier playoff game this past fall at Loyola. LA put up temporary stands just beyond the south end zone, and they were not close to being filled. I expect LA would continue to bring in temporary stands for those few games each year where they anticipate an overflow crowd.

 

[BataviaDogs1]

Wow, from chalkboards to ghettos vs white suburbia. That escalated quickly.

 

[SportsGuruDB]

I can't speak for LA, but I can't imagine that adding more permanent seating is on their radar screen. Every now and then (mostly playoffs), Loyola fans and the opposing team's fans will exhaust the available seating. Trust me, it's rare...even for playoff games. I just can't see them adding permanent seating to accommodate those rare instances.

I attended the Loyola/New Trier playoff game this past fall at Loyola. LA put up temporary stands just beyond the south end zone, and they were not close to being filled. I expect LA would continue to bring in temporary stands for those few games each year where they anticipate an overflow crowd.

That's definitely understandable. In that case, I'd understand temporary stands. I'm shocked that the New Trier/LA game wouldn't sell out.

 

[epicbret]

Yeah DeLaSalle was soooooo needed and should be really nice when completed. Others? Northwestern to start go check that bad boy out.

Northwestern's new facility is absurdly cool.

 

[ramblinman]

That's definitely understandable. In that case, I'd understand temporary stands. I'm shocked that the New Trier/LA game wouldn't sell out.

Both stands on either side of the field were full for that game, at least until the point when Loyola was up 35-10. Many NT fans left early...only to miss the Trevians scoring 22 late game points to make it very interesting. The temporary south end zone stands were not full, but would have been if all the people standing around the perimeter of the field would have sat there instead.

 

[voice of meteor football]

Wait until everyone sees what is happening on 35th street

It's going to be amazing. To say that people are excited would be an understatement.

 

[DOUBLEHARRY]

That's definitely understandable. In that case, I'd understand temporary stands. I'm shocked that the New Trier/LA game wouldn't sell out.

It will sell out if it isn't on a saturday with bad weather like this year. The last times they have played on a friday night during the regular season which is back awhile ago you couldn't find a seat or parking anywhere. I expect the same this year at New Trier. New Trier is enlarging their stadium capacity this year, and I am guessing it is because this game is back on the schedule.

 

[woody6]

Although not a brand-new facility, H-F continues to maximize its state-of-the-art super fieldhouse. Case in point would be observing a session of an early evening kids FB camp on their 40-yard indoor turf field in that building just last night.

 

[ramblinman]

It will sell out if it isn't on a saturday with bad weather like this year. The last times they have played on a friday night during the regular season which is back awhile ago you couldn't find a seat or parking anywhere. I expect the same this year at New Trier. New Trier is enlarging their stadium capacity this year, and I am guessing it is because this game is back on the schedule.

The weather wasn't that bad. Sure, it rained before (and I think after) the game, but the conditions for watching the game were not unreasonable.

 

[lkhammer57]

Both stands on either side of the field were full for that game, at least until the point when Loyola was up 35-10. Many NT fans left early...only to miss the Trevians scoring 22 late game points to make it very interesting. The temporary south end zone stands were not full, but would have been if all the people standing around the perimeter of the field would have sat there instead.

I was at that game as well, it was a fine crowd, but it definitely didn't live up to my expectations of what I thought it would be. Still fine for a first round playoff game though, weather wasn't the greatest and I know people are busy on Saturdays a lot of the time.

 

[#1dog]

Would that be before or after CPS replaces 40 year old Robeson HS with a new $85 million high school?

Robeson may be only 40 but the building was the former Francis Parker High School in the building since 1901. They closed Parker in June 1977 and reopened it in September the same year as Robeson. Some face lifting obviously but still same building.

 

[ramblinman]

Robeson may be only 40 but the building was the former Francis Parker High School in the building since 1901. They closed Parker in June 1977 and reopened it in September the same year as Robeson. Some face lifting obviously but still same building.

Really? All the pics I can find of the Robeson building look like 70s design to me. Nothing close to being over 100 years old, even with a facelift.

 

[woody6]

Word in the Southland is that Bloom Twp HS is to get the licensed and trademarked "blue turf" for Sarff Field on its Chicago Heights campus for this coming fall.

 

[CPSFan]

Really? All the pics I can find of the Robeson building look like 70s design to me. Nothing close to being over 100 years old, even with a facelift.

Parker is a separate building on the east side of the Robeson football field. The main building for Robeson was opened in 1977. You can find a historical link to the Chicago Parker high school Colonels on the Google machine.

 

[superac777]

Parker is a separate building on the east side of the Robeson football field. The main building for Robeson was opened in 1977. You can find a historical link to the Chicago Parker high school Colonels on the Google machine.

Look on classmates and find old Parker yearbooks

 

[EdgyTim]

Word in the Southland is that Bloom Twp HS is to get the licensed and trademarked "blue turf" for Sarff Field on its Chicago Heights campus for this coming fall.

That place needs it no doubt

 

[superac777]

That place needs it no doubt

Though I'm happy for them I must ask.How in the world can they afford turf when they are supposedly so broke they have to combine their sports programs?

 

[tomloner]

Word in the Southland is that Bloom Twp HS is to get the licensed and trademarked "blue turf" for Sarff Field on its Chicago Heights campus for this coming fall.

I wonder what St. Rita red would have looked like? St. Rita installed it's second Turf field a couple of years ago. It's cost effective over the life of the field. Three levels of football, Lacrosse, soccer, rugby, band, intramurals take a toll on a grass field. St. Rita has rented the field to DLS and to Iggy along with several charter schools. The first field got a lot of wear. The second time around is cheaper because the drainage system and pan under the field are still there.

But you still need to keep a grass field somewhere to practice on especially when playing an opponent on the road who has a grass field.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

I wonder what St. Rita red would have looked like?

For example of a red turf field, look up Eastern Washington Eagles...

 

[superac777]

Argo put awesome new turf in & has made many nice renovations.