oh i'm greg robinson i'm the assistant city manager in the city of holland and i have a couple of guests with me here today and we're going to talk about the missile stadium the city it's been a topic of discussion with our city council with our staff in the community about how the stadium has been used some improvements that have been made recently and what we're looking to do in the future with the stadium so here with me i'm pleased to have brian davis superintendent of holland public schools and also dr jim boatman president of hope college and we've been talking amongst the three of us and also a former city manager storm wolf was part of the conversation months ago about the the stadium today in the stadium tomorrow so with that let me just let's talk about the background of the stadium and make sure that the people understand just how we've used it in the past and what the stadium has meant to this community and with that being said i'll just start out by saying that the city has used the stadium for a variety of things as you well know over the years in fact not sure how many years ago that we stopped doing this but we used to have the july fourth fireworks there every year we held them at the stadium like a member taking the kids and the blankets well it's the football field and and watching the fireworks and we've got some other activities do we don't do that much with it anymore but we've used it as a community gathering space in the past but i know it has  a history with you too as well and bryan want to start out with just the history of holland public schools and its use of the stadium and maybe other facilities in the community sure well the municipal stadium has been home for holland dutch football on thursday and friday nights for a long time with our freshman and j v programs being able to play largely on thursday and then of course friday in an occasional playoff game when the team has done very well and it's been a great venue for us to be able to play high school football it's in a great setting in location i think that we've discussed that as as a community and it's really been an opportunity for us to not have to invest in multiple facilities across the board so that ability for a public institution like holland to be able to create a relationship that has existed in the past and really work in clever it with the city and then in turn the city has been able to utilize our facilities as well so we've played football vanessa paul the city's been able to take advantage of playing tennis or playing soccer or basketball or gymnastics and some of our facilities so i think it's just been a great opportunity for us to do that and we've enjoyed a lot of great football games their home is full stadium no doubt no doubt about you president well we used to play at riverview park as you know which was  city owned facility until one nine hundred seventy nine and when the stadium was built i remember being on the sidelines as an assistant football coach that first game with with wabash and we won that game  it otherwise i probably would remember but it's been a marvelous facility for these almost thirty years and it's been that was as brian mentioned the venue has been terrific just the setting of it i think is really quite unparalleled in division three butt over time this the field has deteriorated we have lots of teams playing on it and we play  typically our varsity and also our j v probably about seven or eight games a year and i think that combined with the high school usage just kind of demanded that in order for it to be a reasonable play in surface we needed to do something different than just plant grass seed and that certainly is no criticism of the city i think the city has done everything possible to maintain a great place to play for both the high school and the college it's just that with that number of teams playing on it every year it has gradually deteriorated there's some interesting history i think that you were telling me here before we started  discussing this today about the hope and how in public and the football programs it has been our communication directors from each of our representative institutions have been doing some history check in dr bowman mentioned that schools actually played each other three times that year under the same coach and i don't know the exact order but how in public one one hope college one won and then there was a tie in the third and so i'm looking for a rematch  that's probably a pretty unique situation within our state if not across the country that that kind of partnership has been in place for that long so maybe some more information coming out with that as tom and tom from hope in holland share a little bit more of that history piece for a communit very interesting that is that is dr bowman you touched on this a little bit but let's go back for a minute to how this discussion about improving the stadium and where we're at today with it how did that begin i wasn't part of that discussion i came in a number of months after that what started that conversation i think i think it was probably a rainstorm that happened a couple years ago when both holland public and hope had to play in kind of ankle deep mud and the last couple of years we've been fortunate but when you have a game a potential game on friday night maybe even one thursday night another one on saturday now the one on monday it just doesn't lend itself to a grass field and i personally i'm more partial to a grass field as opposed to artificial but given the use it just doesn't work and i think there's been such a great cooperative spirit between the city and the public school between the city and hope and it just doesn't make sense for all of us to build new stadiums and i think the the setting for the stadium is is fantastic it just needed some upgrades and i think that's how the conversation started and then i think soren was involved at that point we also involved holland christian gave them an opportunity to be involved in this and they finally decided they didn't want to be involved further but certainly that opportunity was given and i think could have worked with that school system as well but it just seemed to us that something needed to be done in order to not be embarrassed when we hosted home games and so we started talking about how we could do this the obvious first i think was the field itself the plane surface but then we did know also that  restroom facilities the concession stand no no locker facilities except for the swimming pool i guess i could say this public airing that speedo swimsuits take a lot less room the shoulder pads and and so you know they're there ultimately something will need to be done with that but i just can't say enough about how much fun it has been really to to have this kind of cooperative conversation about what could we do to make this a great facility at the least cost to our donors and taxpayers and i think that's what really precipitated our conversations sure and then they faced taken different routes as you well know it at one point we thought maybe a joint ownership the three of us and that didn't seem to work quite as well as having hope ultimately by it and then letting the city and the public schools use it basically for utility cost only you know what's interesting to me was we did talk about we were trying to make it work where each of us would own a portion of the stadium and then as we started working it made sense on the surface will all be partners with investments and with the ownership and so forth and with the operations in the maintenance but the more we got into the hat and actually when we started to implement the paperwork and so forth it became so cumbersome public operates on different under different guidelines of hope college and both operate under different guidelines and regulations in the city oliver all different entities just became so difficult that eventually came around to well maybe hope should own it and we should have agreements to use it and i think you have an agreement now with hope for use we do you know you mentioned greg those differences you know state statutes in michigan school code but what i have to adhere to is part of a public school district statutes that you have been and i'm glad that that didn't break down the conversation and that we were able to keep the center of how do we maintain equality facility that can be maintained regardless of who owns it and be able to  share those resources and so that collaboration i think even is much stronger indicator of the of the relationship that has exists in the past and ultimately you know with with hope being able to be the owner of the stadium i think that it's going to provide an even greater venue perhaps than what the three way ownership could have because we know early as you and i know the challenges that sort of we face in terms of fun in revenue and resources on our side of the equation in the ability not to have to go back to taxpayers on this i think is a pretty important piece and i know that raising capital probably from the private sector is not as easy as it once was either but to be able to bring all their collective resources of time and energy even the financial pieces together it just shows a real cooperate of spirit and that's what i'm most excited about we are able to maintain that over time and still maintain the quality of programs that each one of us enjoy so collaboration it's been great  the present moment it's been fun to be a part of this to work through this working on a great project together it's still not easy i mean the city it's remains are at this moment a city facility we're intending to go to city council to have them approve the bid from the hope college to purchase the stadium we still need to go through a couple other steps one is to amend our master plan the city's master plan to delete the stadium from it and an other is to rezone the property in it it takes takes quite a while to go through all the steps there's a reason behind that give the public adequate time to comment on a piece of property that they once owned that they still own today so fortunately  so far has been positive then it's still going to take some time i hope everybody's patient you're going to be able to play football on it before it actually transfers with the ownership he said but you know we're hoping in the early november will be able to transfer the ownership  hope college and as we noted you have a user agreement now in public so he will be able to continue to play football games there for at least well you know our lease arrangement is for a twenty five year period term of time and as that moves forward we come to that conclusion you know whoever's around the table at that time will sit down i'm sure and assess how that has worked and if we can maintain that same collaborative spirit that we have today i don't see any reason why that can't continue forward so you know hope has been just fantastic in working through all the details of what that might look like and mean we don't know what athletic programs look like you know ten years from now twenty years from now and so on but i think football is going to be a part of that in the in the community holland whether it's hope or how in public where the case might be and being able to get to though the debt i was always in the details and to be other work that out but it's been such a collaborative uncooperative spirit that i'm really encouraged by that our athletic boosters are very encouraged that our school board has been very encouraged and i really hope that as a community begins to understand more about what what came to happen to form this partnership and the benefits that it will bring the overall community it'll make logical sense to everybody it can just makes great sense you bet really and let's talk a little further about some of the benefits not only with the collaborative efforts that we put together here but what's actually happened at the stadium what's different at the stadium today than what the community sorry last football season for example who you know through not over do you tackle well i think the initial thing that you'll see is his artificial turf and it it is really quite astounding and i think that the difference that that has made and we also did some work with some brickwork around the base of the stands that looks very nice i think that is a been a major improvement we also as we speak are putting in new lighting and this will benefit the public more immediately than it will the college that we we would hope to have some night games in the future but those lights were thirty years old would be lights very similar to what we have at the soccer stadium and i think that will be a major improvement and then i think just the the landscape in around the facility some of the things that hope is able to do with the grounds crew that's virtually right there was some of our other facilities will will make a big difference and you know we can have it and we have had we've had fun working through all these challenges really and i want to commend you  we've really been the glue that held the group together and and a lot of it is be trust i mean that's that's one of the things we have we have written documents but all of this does require a pretty high level of trust and hope has a great trust with the city and with holland public schools and i think that's a mutual kind of thing and so just going forward i'd look at it like they are just so many positives and i think the  community really without having any new taxes will be able to enjoy a facility that i think the whole community will be proud of and that's a great point i mean you mentioned replacing lights  this facility is tired it's been there for over thirty five years a lot of the things have not been replaced that has not been substantial dollars put in from the city side for major  improvements like that although every year we've put in something to prove that stadium so hope college has been able to do things that the city just would not have been able to do and it's a beautiful facility it's in a great setting  it's going to be a lot of fun to watch you know how in public take the field to watch hope take the field and with that being said are there talk about that any kind of community celebrations or anything that's a that's in the works that's being planned about from the public side sure that's where the fun of putting together plan is as we've all mentioned that collaborative spirit but it's actually fun to be actually see it all take place and that happens on those first football games and  actually our freshman team will be the first field to officially i think play on the field competitive sport and then followed up where j v but our home varsity game is the thursday before labor day weekend and that's the first time at our varsity team a play and that be an opportunity before the game to learn a little bit more about the relationship up individuals representing the different organizations will be there to talk about that tom and tom from hope in holland are working together in a special program to put forth some of those and historical components and celebrations and i think really to recognize and bring the community into that collaborative and to be in spirit there as well so we plan to think of follow ups  similar type of thing with one of the college games a little bit later in the snow you actually get to play on it quite a few times before we well which is which is fine i think hopes first game and it will be the varsity game will be the twenty third of september and as brian mentions we'll have a bit of a celebration that day and i think it also will include probably at the end of the game to have a bit of a walk over to the new tennis stadium and as you know we try very much to be a good partner in the city and the tennis stadium is available for community use as as will be the football stadium  well it's a beautiful sports complex and as we noted it's in a beautiful setting and so what about the future what are plans for the future will have the city will have an agreement for use will be a third party position after hope in holland public and then the city if we have events that we want to hold the stadium what about the future the things you can share with us that you're thinking about for statehood for the stadium in the future right well i guess the first thing is that i hope it will be used a lot by the school system by hope and also by the city you know through the field will not wear out from use that's a big change from the grass surface  this will wear out by weather rain and so we use is not going to hurt this and so i think that's one big thing but then going forward i think there do need to be some improvements to the restrooms to the concession stand and we also need to look i think at constructing some kind of a locker room facility especially for halftime but also for visiting teams i think now teams that come to holland and will be especially true i think with with brian's new effort with the high school which is going to be a beautiful improvement they come to expect a certain level of quality in holland and right now i think this team team's coming in dressing and at this i mean pool just doesn't quite do it and so i think that that will be something that will need to be attended to in the hopefully not too distant future so i think there will be you know it's possibility also that the press box will get some upgrades but i think the basic the foundation of such a great facility those those things are already there and it it from time to time trying to maintain it in a way that will make us all proud of hosting things there great i think some of that tweaking to greg is going to be this fall because there is going to be some changes in parking  and as that complex is has kind of been tied together with with the tennis complex over there the attention to detail is just amazing when i first went and i noticed the brickwork around the base of the field almost before i noticed the  that down by the park and i think is going to be something that we're going to have to be very intentional about this year because there's rearrangement of parking and there's lots of parking in some ways and how we're going to need to communicate and work with our visiting teams as they come in and holland public draw large fans to our football games so how do we use and we've talked about the vos fieldhouse being a venue where individuals can park and even though it's kind of out of sight out of mine it's only a couple blocks away and not much different and then park in a couple blocks within the neighborhood there so we planned on working with the local media to be for our home football games and sharing where the places are to park being able to make sure that everyone has a joyful experience as they possibly can  yourself a little extra time and exactly how there's plenty of parking is just might be a little different arrangement than what it was last fall exactly well really appreciate this time together here in the working relationship we have a great institutions hope what you do for the community in public what you do for the community i think it's evident in this collaborative excuse the collaborative effort that we've had here so i really appreciate that i look forward to working with you further and further improvements at the stadium and really this should be an exciting football season for a number of reasons should be angry before we close out i think two it might be worth mentioning some of that ladies and gentlemen behind the scenes that have helped bring some of these details together i know  signs for sure the city has done a lot of work with this and greg mayberry and others from from hopes and and our various athletic directors roach our facility director home public the architects who've done just a fantastic job and in the construction management team that got the field down and in great shape in order i mean well before it was needed so it's all those other individuals that pay attention those details and again i want to reiterate we've got one side to your persistence in being able to keep pushing this forward and your work with city facilities that we already have in holland and i'm just very hopeful that the community people the college people high school people will recognize what a treat it is to be in a community where people operate on the basis of trust and people try to work collaboratively together for the benefit of all needed really is quite a wonderful thing to be a part of and i think that all of us want to make holland the best place that it can possibly be and we all have a partnership in that and so it's been fun and we're not quite finished yet is it as you mentioned greg but i think it will be a terrific had played there for many many decades and in the late nineteenth seventy's there was the opportunity for the the city in collaboration with the college to build a new stadium for  partnership relationship on many many projects the football stadium is the most recent example but there are there are many others in which the public private partnership between the city and and the college has really benefited benefited both the municipal stadium project is this just another outstanding example of that how ministers will stadium a great venue for watching football but also one because of the amount of use especially was showing where as a as a football season progressed with the teams playing on the nash natural turf and just the whole matter of the at a very rainy partnership came about in in recent months to some extent given the the economic conditions that the city is facing an insult many areas and and the colleges the willingness to step forth and to to make this restoration of holland municipal stadium possible it will provide this a first class playing venue not only for the hope college team but how in high school as well and this going to be a wonderful venue for fans to come out and enjoy some great football play a year ago the city and the public schools and hope college you know on ounce intention to enter into some sort of a partnership to make things happen with the stadium renovations as the steps proceeded it this became pretty apparent that trying to do this with two different public bodies who have are governed by different by different laws and and steps regarding ownership that that was not going to  would be a possibility you know it coincides with the recent opening of the new outdoor tennis facility immediately east of the football stadium that property once also was was city owned and  the college through some land exchanges where is able to acquire that really unused piece of property to build this new beautiful twelve court tennis tennis stadium so it's really a win win situation we feel for both the community and the college and that's the way that's the way we like it we take great pride in what we call the town down relationship and we're very grateful to the leadership of  city the city council and the various commissions in working a collaboratively with us to bring about just another outstanding exam ample of the good quality of life that we have here and how on we've been very fortunate over the years to have outstanding local glocal contractors on many of the colleges as well as the communities project so g m b out of out of highland has been our construction  manager for this project they are working with with city staff and college staff have come up with the plan for the installation of this turf and it's not just a matter of laying down an artificial surface  lot of thought and engineering work went into creating a drainage system for example so that when you get the very very heavy rains that the that the seal can handle can handle that they've also looked at a lot of different turf that are manufactured in and came up with this one that's called protests or that has been installed in literally hundreds of venues around around the country you know notably some big ten schools from n f l stadiums they're really we're looking for a turf that could be a long long lasting could stand the amount of play that's going to occur on a given that the the number of teams that both the hauen high and hope college has and we were just looking for a company that would take great care in its installation i think when when people look at the stadium turf up close once the project is often ishta they're going to agree with us that the the decisions made with the the engineering and the construction were the right ones over fifty of these large large rolls each of them measuring five yards in width and they were basically all rolled from sideline the spot unrolled from sideline to sideline numerous times of course to create a one hundred yard field the end zones were were also done in the same way of rolling out these large pieces of carpet as each one was rolled out of the following role then was that was was actually stench to the to the previous roll so each of the five yard roll yard mark yards of turf is sawn two to the next when that job was completed then they would have gone in and much like a barber's shaver have shaved out the surface to then make room for the yard markers the numbers the lettering and now as we're seeing here they are putting down the numbers by gluing them to the rubber backing of of the turf when all of that work is finished right now you're looking at it at the turf and the fibers are laying down or lying down they will come in with with a with equipment that will put a combination of rubber pellets and very fine sand it will be put into the of the turf so that all of the the fibers will stand up so right now this is about two inches long but it's all laying down when the new when the rubber and sand are injected then this will stand running backs and those who are quick are going to love a field like this they weren't going to have to worry about flipping if that if for example it had has been raining you know that's that's that's or it's that sort of thing just a really actually reports on august eighth the high school teams that i think it might even begin you know before that so our goal is always been to have this project pretty much wrapped up by august the first and  the third part of it looks like it's going to be finished you know well well before that there are still some finishing touches for example the field of barrier was just painted concrete in the past now those are all are beautiful red brick and really the intention there is to compliment other things around the new tennis stadium the soccer field they are all have these this red brick accent so you're going to be seeing that on the on the football at the football stadium doing little things like power washing the the concrete and the seating you know something as has and has has not been done for a while  they'll be some months some painting and touch up some landscaping improvements so that the when fans come for the first holland high game here on august twenty third and hope for a home game for temper  people who have who support the college through their four philanthropy so i think there are all sorts of vision for the future improved locker facilities better concession stand arrangements maybe  different scoreboard you know those sorts of things but those are all more medium and long term plans right now the short term plan was to get a new turf in and to get the stadium as spruced up with as possible and  those goals will be achieved for the the beginning of the upcoming football season and one of the things we have strived for with the development of the whole college facilities and i think the our soccer softball and baseball stadiums are good examples in which the college has extended itself to other other users and we really see that same thing happening here with the football with a football field we really see this facility getting more more use than ever before may is held here at the stadium to accommodate the very large crowd that come for that full week that we kind of envision through some marketing and awareness more opportunities for use of the facility in the future