New Bleachers, Field Tower Being Built At Walt Whitman High School

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — The front entrance view of Walt Whitman High School looks different from how it did at the beginning of the school year.

The press box/field tower and the bleachers at the athletic field are gone — demolished to make way for new construction of ADA accessible bleachers and a larger, updated tower, the South Huntington School District announced. It’s one of the major capital improvement projects the district has planned for this year. Demolition began in early December.

The new bleachers and tower are scheduled to be completed by April 19 — over two months before graduation slated for June 28.

First, the metal bleachers were removed using heavy machinery. After the seating and the underlying support structure of the bleachers were cleared away, crews brought down the tower that has stood watch over the athletic field since the 1970s.

Early on the morning of Dec. 16, the machinery operator climbed into the excavator to begin to take the tower down. The excavator started at the top, and after removing the metal railing with almost hand-like precision, the bucket slammed down on the structure, cutting into the masonry, beginning the process of leveling the tower. It was reduced to rubble in about 12 minutes, the district wrote.

"We’ve used time lapse to speed up the entire tower demolition process to 45 seconds," the district stated. "Click HERE to see the time lapse video on our YouTube channel!"

The new bleachers will have stairs and ramps and provide seating for more than 1,800 people. The larger field tower will feature a three-room press box on the second floor and a concession stand on the first floor. A large plaza will provide access to the bleachers with standing room for people to view events.

Architectural renderings of the completed project show what the new stands and tower will look like. Construction will be ongoing Monday through Friday, including during school hours, and the construction zone will remain fenced off and monitored by school security until the project is finished.

"For seniors who are already looking ahead to this year’s graduation, this is an important project," the district wrote. "It’s where graduation happens!"