Patterson Field sporting a new look | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review

2022-07-30 09:23:06 By : Ms. Vicky Chen

(Left) This drone shot was taken Wednesday of work progressing at Patterson Field in East Liverpool, as the nearby Ohio River peeks through nearby. The river’s proximity provides a lovely backdrop as well as fuels flooding concerns for many in the community. (Submitted photo courtesy of EL school district/ Jimmy Joe Savage)

(Left) This drone shot was taken Wednesday of work progressing at Patterson Field in East Liverpool, as the nearby Ohio River peeks through nearby. The river’s proximity provides a lovely backdrop as well as fuels flooding concerns for many in the community. (Submitted photo courtesy of EL school district/ Jimmy Joe Savage) (Right) Heavy machinery continued to move earth Thursday afternoon as part of East Liverpool school’s system multimillion dollar renovation to its Patterson Field athletic complex. The projected completion date of the upgrades, which includes replacement of the grass with artificial turf, is early September when the Potters face the Beavers in its first home game on Sept. 9. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi) EAST LIVERPOOL — The East Liverpool Local School District is looking to celebrate its 100th anniversary of Patterson Field in style in 2023 –after spending almost $2 million on renovations to the complex this year.

As new district Athletic Director Jason Duke said, introducing the artificial turf first was discussed in 2006, but plans to institute it were delayed due to the pandemic.

East Liverpool, United and Columbiana were the only three remaining football fields in Columbiana County still using grass, he added.

It is beyond just replacing the grass field, explained Megan Hernandez, district spokeswoman. She said the district is making comprehensive upgrades to the entire complex, including adding wheelchair accessibility, new perimeter fencing, LED lighting, upgraded walkways, a new roof on the concession building, upgrading stands for the marching band and improved security features in addition to replacing the grass field with artificial turf that should be completed by September.

Considering its proximity to the Ohio River’s edge, the drainage and flooding always has been a concern.

(Right) Heavy machinery continued to move earth Thursday afternoon as part of East Liverpool school’s system multimillion dollar renovation to its Patterson Field athletic complex. The projected completion date of the upgrades, which includes replacement of the grass with artificial turf, is early September when the Potters face the Beavers in its first home game on Sept. 9. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)

“The improvements will allow for three times as many events to be held on the surface, including football, soccer, marching band, community events and recreational programs,” she explained. “The plan is for the community to have 24/7 access to the stadium upon completion.”

District Superintendent Jonathan Ludwig agreed that the improved Patterson Field will be an asset to the community, including “the thousands of students who will come through the (district’s) athletic and marching band programs for the generations to come, allowing for more efficient use of the facilities and providing a more durable, safer playing, environment.”

“Not only will student athletes benefit from this improvement, but many students and community groups also will be able to utilize the facility,” he added.

The project will be ready for the first home game on Friday, Sept. 9, when the Potters take on the Beaver Local Beavers. That date also happens to be the First Friday downtown event in East Liverpool, which was moved due to the Labor Day holiday, and the community is ready to celebrate. “We plan to do a ribbon-cutting after sometime,” Hernandez added.

The district is especially proud that the majority of vendors being used on this project also are from the community. Hissom Roofing, Protech Electronic, West Point Paving, Lee Cain Fence and Kyle Landscape Development are just a few of the vendors working on the multimillion project.

The land that Patterson Field sits on was once known as West End Park.

According to Hernandez, the East Liverpool school board passed initially on an opportunity to buy the land in December 1923, so local industrialist Monroe Patterson bought the strip of land and donated it to the school for area youth to have recreation.

The field officially was dedicated on Nov. 15, 1924, when the high school football team played Leetonia on Monroe Patterson Athletic Field.

Patterson, who formed Patterson Company and later was treasurer at Hall China, died a week later from pneumonia.

The field was rededicated in 1928 when the direction of the playing field was changed to a northeast-southwest position, explained Hernandez. Six years later, workers from the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Program Administration would build the field’s concrete grandstand.

The district will celebrate its centennial anniversary ot the Patterson complex in 2023, and many events surrounding this milestone are still in the planning stages.

Hernandez said that money to fund the project came from the district’s capital expenditure fund and a lease-purchase agreement.

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