Riverside Schools coaches, administrators, and members of the public walked through the new fieldhouse on the Riverside campus during an Open House on Tuesday evening. The building had been in the planning process until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 thwarted the project. Undaunted, the board eventually approved construction of the building, which complements the new track and football field installed for the 2025 season.
District Superintendent Dr. Scott Mann said the initial estimates for the building were over $14 million, so the board decided to table the project. A combination of a favorable market and the board’s persistence in making it happen has finally paid off. Dr. Mann said the fieldhouse is the latest in a string of projects the board has approved that directly benefit the district and local residents.
Dr. Mann shares his thoughts:
Elementary Principal and Varsity Football Coach Bryce Hodge speaks about how fortunate the district is to have this facility, and expects it to get a lot of use:
The building features 8 full universal weight sets and free weights, 2 full basketball/volleyball courts with 8 retractable backboards, an indoor netted baseball and softball pitching machines, a simulated baseball pitching mound, and two computerized golf swing evaluators featuring hundreds of golf courses.
As previously reported on peakofohio.com, the board approved $4,023,100.26 for the building, based on figures submitted by the contractor, H.A. Dorsten, Inc., in Minster. The architect was Garmann Miller, also of Minster. The total for the project was just under $6 million.
