It seemed crazy to replace just a third of the football field at the stadium in Riverside Park, Stan Shultz, owner of Veterans Worldwide, thought.
Veterans Worldwide replaced lead-contaminated soil in various parts of the park, particularly near playground equipment, as part of ongoing reclamation efforts across the city.
A soil test also revealed lead in soil in the infield of the stadium’s track, but just in one area.
Not only was it contaminated, but “it was pretty hot,” Shultz said. The minimum allowed concentration is 400 parts per million; this tested between 700 to 1,000 ppm in certain spots.
Shultz shared his concerns with USD 257 school board members and Superintendent Stacey Fager. But with all the other construction projects in the district, they couldn’t afford another.
“We weren’t ready to make that kind of investment at that time,” Fager said.
Board member Tony Leavitt suggested they raise the money to replace the additional sod.
It would take a joint effort between Veterans, the district, city and county to come up with a plan — along with donors, including one anonymous donation of $35,000.
The donation was announced in December, when school board members said they needed another $5,000 to match the total cost. Donna Houser, who has spearheaded multiple improvements projects at the stadium, helped the district find donations for the remainder.
A Lawrence company that sells sod to Veterans Worldwide also offered a discount on some of its best bluegrass because it was for a school district.
“It’s everybody working together to make this happen,” Shultz said.
THIS IS the first time Shultz and crew, including foreman Don Dunn, have worked on a football stadium.
The process included digging up the existing sod and dirt — digging a little deeper in areas of contamination — and replacing dirt and sod without damaging a sprinkler system.
The biggest concern was the rubberized track that surrounds the football field. They would need to haul load after load of dirt and sod back and forth across the track. Heavy equipment could damage the track, and it would be expensive to replace.
“You don’t want to mess up a town’s football stadium,” Shultz said.
