Downers Grove South Stadium Ready for Friday Football Games

first home football game will be on new synthetic turf. 

first day of school is Aug. 24. Browning said earlier this month the fields will be ready to hold physical education classes when classes begin and to host South's first football game Aug. 26. 

There had been some speculation whether delays in the project would re-locate the game. According to the IHSA website, the game site is Hinsdale South High School in Darien. 

The district will hold dedication ceremonies for the fields sometime this fall at each school's Homecoming game, Browning said.  Homecoming game will be Sept. 30. will be Oct. 14. 

In terms of other facility improvements, both schools' running tracks are set to be complete in a little over a month. 

North High School's running track will be complete by the end of August, Browning said. South's track will be complete by the end of September. 

Work on new storm water retention basins is also almost complete. 

Other aspects of the outdoor facilities improvement project will take a little more time. Added practice and softball fields at North High will be finished this fall but will not be useable until next fall to give the natural turf time to become established. 

In all, the North campus will see $9.3 million in Tier 1 improvements by the end of the 2012 construction season. 

In addition to stadium improvements, the east field along Main Street will be replaced by an expanded parking lot. Meanwhile, the west parking lot between Prince Street and Saratoga Avenue will be replaced by a grass field, although part of the project may be delayed pending acquisition of a final parcel.

A bus drop-off area and staff parking lot will be installed along Grant Street at Prince Street. Prince north of Grant will be absorbed by the campus, according to the plans. 

At South, $3.8 million in improvements are planned. In addition to the synthetic turf and new track, the plan calls for reorienting the softball field, regrading fields to address drainage problems and improving a pedestrian walkway from the school to the stadium. Both schools will also get new public restrooms.

The district had the "wisdom" in July of 2010 to accept the Woodridge property settlement and the proceeds of that settlement to upgrade the facilities and had "the courage to move ahead with the project during an uncertain economy, understanding addressing the needs of present day students was worth that risk," District 99 Superintendent Mark McDonald said at the project's ground-breaking ceremony May 2. 

Work started in early May at both schools. 

Editor's note: Former Downers Grove Local Editor Elaine Johnson contributed to this report.