В Конкорде началась демонтаж старых трибун на поле памяти из-за угрозы обрушения

The aging bleachers at Concord’s Memorial Field will soon be removed in a process that is expected to take about five weeks. The City Council approved the removal of the metal and wood bleachers in April after a structural evaluation by The H.L. Turner Group found significant public safety risks in multiple areas: the football grandstands, visitor bleachers, press box, and the Doane Diamond baseball bleachers. The city and school district are in the process of redesigning the city’s athletic facility and have considered multiple plans to correct field drainage, replace fields and the running track and build new structures. The original proposal to renovate the 36-acre space would have cost $31.7 million across two phases of construction, with $1.5 million for design. A design committee considered a slimmed-down plan that would address the most pressing needs first, but even then, the multi-purpose fields and the track wouldn’t be ready until the fall of 2028. The structural evaluation by H.L. Turner highlighted visible structural deterioration of the football stands, including corrosion, material fatigue and potential instability. In addition, the bleachers did not meet requirements from the International Building Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Continued use of the existing structures would expose the city to significant liability,” the city said in a statement. On the baseball field, the structural foundations and superstructure of the bleachers behind home plate posed a significant risk. However, other portions were sound. The city noted that it will preserve material from those portions for future use. As of Thursday, July 16, work had begun to dismantle the baseball bleachers’ middle section, while the football bleachers remained fenced off. An area off to the side of the left field bleachers was fenced off to temporarily store materials removed. Once the bleachers are removed from the football field, a new storage shed will be installed as a temporary press box for public address systems and electrical services for football field lights. “The city appreciates the public’s patience during this important safety improvement project,” officials said in a statement. The city hired Milestone Engineering of Concord to complete the work, which was estimated to cost $385,000. In a separate development at Memorial Field, the city cut down more than 200 mature pine trees that bordered the facility this winter, which angered many residents and neighbors.