T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Marshalltown School Board President Sean Heitmann, Superintendent Theron Schutte and Board Member Leah Stanley review information during the regular meeting on Monday. The board received an update on Franklin Field and approved change orders for the revamping project.

The Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education received another update on the $7.8 million Franklin Field revamping project, and approved three change orders.

During the regular Monday meeting, Boyd Jones Senior Project Manager Michael Martin presented the update to board members and said the first phase of the six-lane asphalt track has been put in.

Since the ground was broken in May, the scoreboard on the northwest side has been installed, but has not been electrified yet as the transformer is being worked on. Progress on the concession stand is continuing, and the exterior brick will match Franklin Elementary School.

“Some upcoming things we’re forecasting here – the final landscaping and grading on the north side of the track [is getting] established before we switch into the cooler months,” he said. “We’re going to get the ticket booth and north shelter lighting fixed up. The next milestone is getting the bleachers and pressbox in.”

Martin said the public will see the slab on grade being installed within the next two weeks. The pressbox is premade and will be brought in on a trailer.

“We’ll pick it up with a crane and set it on top,” he said.

Martin said some problems the crew was facing included tight site logistics. Fortunately, he added they worked with Franklin school staff to determine how to coordinate student drop-off and pick up times.

“That is one of our main things with the amount of traffic we’ve had in the last couple of weeks,” he said. “There were times we’ve coordinated with the school to not be traversing for those.”

One of the highlights Martin addressed was the turf installation by Sprinturf, who also worked on the field at Marshalltown High School.

Within three weeks, he is expecting the turf installation, base layers of the track and exterior brick of the concession stand to be complete and concrete paving and security fencing will be wrapped up.

“The bleachers and pressbox are coming up right before Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “Our goal is to be done with the concession stand at or near Thanksgiving.”

He also touched on safety. The crew has put in roughly 154 days of work, which is also the same number of days without major incidents.

“Other than that, we’re getting logos put on as far as the Franklin field on the east wall,” Martin said. “In two weeks, the mural on the school is going to go in as well. Then we’re just trying to button everything up the best we can.”

After opening up the presentation to questions, Board Member Zach Wahl asked if Hudl was going to be offered for parents and grandparents to watch games. Superintendent Theron Schutte said he believed it would be but was not sure.

“I’m sure we can buy the camera if it’s not already planned for,” he said.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.