By Mike Hazlip—
A local high school in Citrus Heights is holding a community meeting Thursday to discuss plans for a long-awaited stadium.
Mesa Verde Coach Leonard Casillas told The Sentinel in a phone call Wednesday the stadium was years in the making.
“We’ve been waiting for this stadium for a long time,” Casillas said. “This is part of our high school signature project through the San Juan Unified School District through the Measure N bond.”
Casillas, who is also a Mesa Verde alumnus, said the school has never had a home field. He said the school decided to spend their share of bond funds on a stadium after receiving input from previous community meetings. Each school in the district receives funds for what Casillas called their “signature project.”
Preliminary details are posted on a district webpage dedicated to the stadium project, which lists five key areas of the project. The project will include:
- Construction of a brand-new sports stadium including a synthetic track and field
- Building new bleachers, press box and a concessions and restroom building
- Adding LED sports lighting
- Renovating the existing parking lot and tennis courts
- Conducting other much-needed exterior site improvements
Thursday night’s meeting seek further community input on the plans before the school board votes to move forward with the project. The school is aiming for a completion date by spring of 2023.
The meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. on April 7 at Mesa Verde’s performing arts theater.
“It’s pretty special to a lot of us,” said Casillas. “And just excitement for the kids, finally getting something that a lot of other schools in the school district have. They definitely deserve it, so we’re excited about it.”
More details on the stadium project will be included in The Sentinel’s upcoming April 10 Weekend Edition.
