Los Lunas High School stadium work wrapping up soon

LOS LUNAS — After more than a year of work, the first stage of stadium upgrades at Willie Chavez Athletic Field on the campus of Los Lunas High School are expected to be completed before the home opening football game on Friday, Aug. 29.

“We’ve made substantial progress on the stadium over the summer break,” said Tiffany McMinn, Los Lunas Schools director of maintenance and construction.

Construction crews have been updating the front of the stadium, adding a more contemporary look while making it easier for fans to get in and out of the facility.

Currently, the main construction activity is just north of the home team grandstand, on the west side of the football field. That is where a building for concessions and bathrooms with a courtyard is nearing completion.

“We are excited. It’s a beautiful addition,” said McMinn, who added it will “better accommodate some of our spectators, students and staff that may have accessibility needs.”

The older concession/bathroom building on the southwest corner of the stadium will also be in use this football season, McMinn said, with possible upgrades in the future.

“The district is still looking and master planning how we can do improvements on the other facilities of the stadium,” she said.

Also housed in that concession/bathroom structure are locker rooms for LLHS track athletes and the visiting football team. That facility could be enhanced during a possible stage two, depending on funding.

The school district is also addressing an unexpected issue in and around the stadium because of heavy rains that hit in mid-July. Sediment that washed down into the stadium and onto the track is being cleaned up. McMinn says the district is checking to make sure nearby retention ponds are at their correct depth.

To help prevent future runoff, McMinn says concrete curbing is being added on the curved section of Tiger Lane, the road which connects the lower and upper parking lots on the west side of the stadium.

“There’s an area that we’re going to patch, do some concrete work and fix that turn,” McMinn said, in an effort to send the water flow away from the stadium. Additional drainage improvements could be part of a possible stage two renovation.

Game one of the football season for the Tigers is Aug. 22 in Roswell, followed the next week by defending 6A state champion Cleveland visiting Los Lunas.

The clear-bag policy that was implemented last season by LLS remains in place.