By Jennifer Moody
For Lebanon Local
Lebanon High School’s track and turf field will be closed for the rest of February while crews work to demolish the Heath Stadium grandstands.
Demolition began Monday, Feb. 9.
In a press release posted Friday on the Lebanon Community School District’s website, district officials said the stadium, track and field are expected to reopen March 1 for spring sports, which the district has said will continue as scheduled. Seating will be available in the visitors’ section.
Construction of a new press box also is under way on the opposite side of the stadium.
Structural concerns prompted the district to close the grandstands last spring. Closing the track and turf field to athletes, athletic events and the public during demolition is being done as a safety precaution, the district said.
No closures to Airport Road are anticipated, but the sidewalk next to the stadium may be closed temporarily while crews work.
A district project list estimated demolition to cost about $176,000. The Lebanon Booster Club contributed about $200,000 for the project, said Michelle Steinhebel, the district’s spokesperson. The Rick Franklin Corporation is the contractor.
“We are grateful for the support that made this work possible and appreciate everyone’s patience as this work moves forward,” Supt. Jennifer Meckley said as part of the written statement.
Heath Stadium was built in 1957 and its roof added in 1962. Multiple independent reports in the past five years have identified significant safety concerns, including concrete deteriorated to the point that it exposed rusted rebar and corroded steel supports. Safety reviews also found rust and corrosion in portions of the steel support framing, among other structural problems.
Based on a recommendation from school district officials and legal counsel, the district’s board of directors closed the stadium’s seating area in spring 2025. Graduation took place on the football field.
Asbestos abatement took place and crews disconnected power before the demolition. The Heath Stadium sign has been stored for now, Steinhebel said.
It’s not clear when, or whether, the stadium will be replaced. District officials have said building a replacement will depend on available funding. Estimates so far are about $2.76 million for a stadium, plus another $1.38 million for restrooms and concessions, plus about $400,000 for a a storage area underneath the stands.
Before 2016, Oregon school districts relied on property taxes and voter-approved bond levies to build schools or make large-scale repairs, as no state funding was provided. This changed a decade ago with the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program, which allows districts to receive matching grants of up to $6 million for major construction or repair work if they also pass a voter-approved bond measure.
Lebanon voters turned down a $20 million bond request in May 2022. At their January meeting, members of the school district’s Board of Directors said they are philosophically in favor of trying for another bond for construction and repairs, although they did not decide on the cost, timing or whether it would include a new stadium.
The district currently has $163,518 set aside in a Heath Stadium Fund. Of that, $130,000 came from Lebanon’s second-place finish in a “Friday Night 5G Lights” competition sponsored by the T-Mobile wireless company last fall. Steinhebel said Dick’s Sporting Goods contributed another $25,000, and the rest came from private donations.
More information on the project, as well as a link to the donation page, can be found on the district’s website at https://www.lebanon.k12.or.us/connect/heath-stadium-grandstands.