10 Million Seats - New & Renovated: February Edition
Kingston, NY Stadium Renovation a Win-Win for Local Community!
Architect: Jack H. Schoonmaker , City of Kingston
Construction Manager: CPL
“BELOVED” DIETZ STADIUM REOPENS AFTER HISTORIC RENOVATION
Dietz Stadium is a beloved symbol of the Kingston City School District’s athletic tradition. Located in the center of town on the Hudson River, the historic stadium has been the home of the Kingston High School Tigers football team since 1951 and is owned by the City of Kingston, NY. Its recent transformation is a win-win for the high school’s athletes, their fans, and the whole community.
Bryan Popplewell , Project Manager at Dant Clayton, discussed the scope of the project. “We stripped the grandstand down to the original concrete, added handicap access platform and walkway out front, new aluminum stairs, handicap ramp and all new aluminum bench seating. A new vomitory was cut through at the 50-yard line to improve egress, and all new black vinyl coated fencing was added around perimeter.
"Installing the new products on top of the old concrete made things very challenging. The old concrete was quite uneven and out of square. We did a lot of coordination with the city and general contractor to ensure the new upgrades fit to allow for smooth transitions.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RENOVATION
Dant Clayton’s products used in the Dietz Stadium renovation:
A Long Time Coming
The sold-out crowd that attended Kingston High School’s football home opener last September could not have imagined it would look brand new, like it had magically been brought back to life.
What is Popplewell most proud of? “This project hit right in the middle of our busiest season. We were able to get them in the facility and using it without any delays and delivered everything they asked for.”
THINK YOU NEED TO REPLACE YOUR EXISTING STADIUM? THINK AGAIN.
Dant's Special Projects Group Finds Ways to Safely Renovate, Saving Customers Millions
When leaders at the Fairless Local School District in Navarre, Ohio noticed the wood throughout Fred Brideweser Stadium was deteriorating, they imagined the worst. Mark Phillips and Mike Hearn, Treasurer and Superintendent, respectively, believed the entire stadium would need to be replaced.
“Mark and I knew we didn’t have the funding to build a new stadium. But looking at the deterioration of the existing wood flooring, walkways and stairs, we figured the whole thing would need to be torn down and rebuilt,” said Hearn. “We started making calls to get pricing on building a new stadium and bids came in at over $3 million to replace both sides.”
Then they recalled that Dant Clayton had helped them years before close the gaps between the seats and floorboards and hoped they might be able to help. Initially Territory Manager, Paul Riedinger got things rolling by sharing a ballpark number to renovate the stadium. He then turned it over to Dant Clayton’s Special Projects Group, led by Manager Cy Duvall , to handle it from there.
“Cy came up here and could really envision what was needed. He brought the experience and the eye to say this can absolutely be renovated. We couldn’t see it, but he could. The knowledge and expertise that Cy and his team brought to the table can’t be overstated. Even when we got into the project, he was able to make adjustments on the fly, without changing the cost and timeline. Something you don’t see very often today.” - Mark Phillips, Treasurer Fairless School District
Construction began in January 2024 and was completed by August. “It’s now fully ADA compliant and up to code,” said Phillips.
When asked how long the renovated stadium is expected to last, Hearn mentioned the structural engineer who examined the work said he didn’t see an end date.
“We just weren’t aware you could use the existing structure. We saved 70% of the total cost of a new stadium build,” said Hearn.
Phillips went on to say he was so impressed with the Fairless job that he contacted the Special Projects Group to do the same work on Tusky Valley, another school in the district.
Meet the Special Projects Group
Have a venue need that our Special Projects Group could be of benefit to? Contact [email protected] today!
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA TO WELCOME FIRST ON CAMPUS FOOTBALL STADIUM
Architect: Davis - Architecture, Design, & Planning
General Contractor: Fite Building Company
Construction Manager: Mammoth
On a warm, sunny day last August, a team from University of North Alabama headed south to meet with Joel Erdman, Athletic Director at the University of South Alabama , on a fact-finding mission that would help them make decisions about UNA’s new stadium. Erdman took them on a tour of Hancock Whitney Stadium, USA’s $78 million state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2020.
Shane Sibert , Sales Manager at Toadvine Enterprises and Dant Clayton's partner on the UNA project, said the visit affirmed what the customer wanted to experience first-hand. “Seeing Dant Clayton's Welded Deck with Stain & Slip Resistant Decking in person confirmed the quality and workmanship of the product that UNA would get in their new stadium.”
Another point of interest was understanding how Dant Clayton built Hancock Whitney Stadium with the ability to expand capacity in the future. As Erdman pointed out their current seating capacity is 25,770, "but we can expand to 32,000. We can expand to 40,000. And we have built our concourses and our existing structures in mind to accommodate those additions rather than having to tear things down and rebuild everything up."
"We could not have done that without the help of Dan Clayton's engineers and their creative team to help us see what that would look like in 2030, in 2040, and so on.” – Joel Erdman, Director of Athletics at University of South Alabama
Bank Independent Stadium to Open August 2026
UNA is on the cusp of getting what its students and local community have been asking for decades: the university’s first ever on campus stadium. Spectators will have multiple seating options designed throughout the stadium bowl and premium tower. Total capacity of Bank Independent Stadium will accommodate 7,500 spectators and is being designed with the opportunity for future expansion. They’re also getting a press box and standing room only areas with integrated ADA spaces behind the seating bowl, for greater cross spectator engagement.?
At the groundbreaking ceremony last June, UNA president, Dr. Kenneth Kitts, is quoted as saying, “What you’ve done here is big and it’s special. Lions, this is our moment. This is our time to shine. It’s our time to roar!”
Collegiate Projects. All Day, Every Day.
As college sports evolve to more closely resemble professional sports models (consider the College Football Playoff new 12-team format, the NCAA transfer portal, and the ability of athletes to financially benefit from NIL deals), so have their stadiums and arenas. They have become a powerful marketing tool capable of generating significant income that goes beyond ticket sales and concessions. A beautiful stadium that’s built around the fan experience creates buzz, helps to increase future enrollment, and attracts new corporate sponsors.
Dant Clayton Has Built 61 Power 4 Facilities
Dant Clatyon has deep experience in the collegiate sports construction market at all levels of play, with seating in over half of the 67 Power 4 schools. Projects cover nearly ever sport including: football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, tennis, lacrosse, as well as track and field.
Notable Recent Awards:
Abington High School – Clark Summit, PA, Football Stadium (Game Ready Grandstand – Championship Series, Press Box, and Alum-A-Stand)
Columbus City Schools (5 High Schools) – Columbus, OH, Football Stadiums (Game Ready Grandstand – Championship Series Stands, Press Boxes, and Alum-A-Stands)
University of Delaware – Newark, DE, Softball Stadium (Press Box)
Stratford High School – Nashville, TN, Football Stadium (I-Beam grandstand)
W.E.B. DuBois Academy High School – Louisville, KY, Football Stadium (Alum-A-Stand and Press Box)