SUPERINTENDENT OF CLAIRTON SCHOOLS, DR. TAMARA ALLEN-THOMAS. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)
by Genea L. Webb
For New Pittsburgh Courier
For lifelong Clairton resident and Clairton Bears receiver Donte Wright, 17, the prospect of a renovated football stadium is bittersweet.
“I love this project for us because I feel, as a community, we needed this,” he told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “Whenever it rains, it usually gets muddy and messy so this would really be a good move for us. But to me it’s kind of sad because growing up here in Clairton and playing on the field my whole entire life and now my senior season it’s like, the stadium is going away and this is the last time the game is going to be played on this field. It’s time for me to make an impact. This is the last season we will be playing on this field, and I will be playing, so why not go out with a bang.”
On Aug. 18, the Clairton Bears Academic and Athletic Association (CBAAA) and the Clairton City School District announced they have launched a four-prong approach to upgrading the decades-old Neil C. Brown Stadium including new turf on the football field, a new stadium entrance, new locker rooms and restrooms and bleachers.
“We need some things for kids to do in town and we’ve always done well with football and all these kids are our future, so if there’s anything we ever had to do in the city of Clairton, it’s to help our kids with their future and dip a little bit in our pocket because our kids deserve better,” said Clairton mayor Richard Lattanzi.
SOME OF THE CLAIRTON BEARS, IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
According to CBAAA president and school board member Roger Tachoir, the project’s estimated cost is at least $6.6 million. The district will go after a 30-year, $3.5 million bond issue (by way of a 2 mill tax increase, which would cost residents an additional $56 annually and businesses in the city paying more) to cover a portion of the project. Another portion of the money needed for the project is already underway via the group looking for funding from major foundations and corporations, both locally and nationally. The group has launched a fundraising campaign for Clairton High School alumni, residents and supporters to donate as well to help reach the goal of $1.5 million, which will help get the first three phases of the project started in time for the 2024 football season. The Clairton Bears Academic and Athletic Association is hoping to get a $250,000 grant from the NFL Foundation’s Grassroots Field Grant Program. It’s the same grant that was received by Aliquippa to help renovate “The Pit,” the nickname for their football stadium. The Kraft/Heinz Company is an example of a corporate entity that contributed $1.3 million to help renovate Aliquippa’s football stadium in time for this season. It’s safe to say Clairton wouldn’t mind the same type of donation from a corporate sponsor.
MAYOR OF CLAIRTON, RICHARD LATTANZI.
According to CBAAA executive board member Roger Tachior, the first three phases of the project would correct flooding that occurs every time it rains, which not only leads to a muddied field but also causes damage to the players’ locker rooms. The current use of portable bathrooms for students and game attendees would also be a thing of the past. The fieldhouse would also be renovated, and a new press box and concession stands would also be built during these phases, all at a cost of about $5 million. The fourth and final phase of the project, which would cost an estimated $1.92 million, would consist of upgrades to the entrance and stadium’s home section. The CBAAA has received a $500,000 donation from U.S. Steel for the stadium renovations. Tachoir also said Bellevue-based CORE Architects and DiMarco Construction, both located in Clairton, helped in the early stages with design and cost estimates at no charge. He said both companies have signed agreements with the Clairton City School District to be hired if the district is able to move forward with the project.
If all goes according to plan, the last game on grass at the stadium would be Oct. 20 against Frazier. The group will begin accepting bids and break ground in March 2024 and hope to have the new turf installed before the beginning of the 2024 football season. If construction is not finished before the beginning of next year’s football season, the Clairton Bears will have to play their games at other venues.
“This is a long time coming for me personally. I was born and raised in Clairton, and I played on this field,” said Clairton football head coach Wayne Wade Jr. “It means a lot to me, and it will mean a lot to the players because they will have a surface to play on and we don’t have to figure out where to play our games.”
Clairton Bear Martin Lawrence, 15, believes the new renovations will boost the morale of the football players.
“I grew up in this my whole life so it’s normal, but it will be good to have the new stadium (renovations),” he told the Courier. “I can’t wait ‘til we get it.”
Clairton City School District superintendent Tamara Allen-Thomas said she was glad to see the new stadium project possibly coming to fruition.
“This is one pathway to the promise. This is a long time coming,” she said. “This brought all of us together. We have to make sure that our voice is heard and that our academics align with the honor that we deserve here. We are going to be scholars on the field and off the field. We have to do this together. This is not a school thing, it’s a community thing. We have to make sure that our money matches what we are going to do. This is a community staple; we’re hoping that having something like this will be a common space for people to come together and not just use it for football but for other sports as well. This is something we need and deserve but it can only come to fruition with the money.”
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