Columbiana to Dedicate Rebuilt Stadium Before Opening Game
COLUMBIANA, Ohio – With the rebuilding of Fisher Stadium – home of the Columbiana High School Clippers – complete, the facility will be dedicated Friday before the team’s first football game of the season.
The dedication will take place at 6 p.m. at the stadium, which is in Firestone Park, and members of the Fisher family will be present. The game, against McDonald High, will start at 7 p.m.
“We want everyone to come out and enjoy the game Friday,” said Sean Zentner, president of the Columbiana Athletic Boosters. Zentner was at the field Monday morning, adjusting the sprinkler system and making other final preparations.
The stadium project was a community-wide effort involving the boosters, Columbiana Exempted Village School District, the city and private citizens.
Fisher Stadium is named after Columbiana native and Ohio State University football legend Dick “Sonny” Fisher. After an exceptional run during a game, Fisher was described as a “clipper” – a reference to the fast-moving sailing ships – by a Cleveland radio announcer. The nickname stuck, and Columbiana High’s sports teams also took on the moniker.
Friday’s dedication will mark the completion of the $1.4 million first phase of the stadium’s reconstruction. The phase entailed the removal and replacement of the home stands, installation of new aluminum bleachers and chairback seats, aesthetic enhancements and the addition of wheelchair ramps and other measures to make it ADA compliant.
The stadium, which features ornate brickwork that matches the original look, was built by Jim Santini Builders of Washingtonville.
A large banner touting the project and Fisher will be hung behind the bleachers to greet fans coming to Friday’s game.
Permanent lettering is being fabricated out of metal and will be installed on the wall behind the press box when it is ready, Zentner said.
Built in 1936 in Firestone Park, Fisher Stadium is one of a few high school football stadiums nationwide that is in a municipal park.
It has a seating capacity of 980, which is just shy of the previous capacity of 1,000, according to Zentner.
Two more phases will follow, with an estimated cost of $1.8 million. The fundraising effort has not yet started, Zentner said, noting the unused money from the first phase will go toward the second. The exact amount of unused funds has not yet been determined, he said.
Phase 2 will entail replacing the playing surface, possibly with artificial turf; resurfacing the track that surrounds the field; and installing fencing and drainage infrastructure.
In Phase 3, the locker and weight rooms will be remodeled; the existing concession stands will be converted to restrooms and a new concession stand will be built; a band shell will be built; and lights, sound equipment, the scoreboard and advertising signage will be replaced.
The lion’s share of funding for the first phase came from Pat Tingle, the Columbiana resident and philanthropist who has already given millions of dollars for the makeover of Firestone Park.
Tingle contributed more than $1 million for the stadium’s first phase, with the Columbiana Athletic Boosters raising about $300,000 from community residents and businesses.
Pictured at top: The stands at Fisher Stadium in Columbiana are packed for a recent band night performance.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
