Blakemore Field Improvements

Overview

Van Buren School District recognized that with many current and future projects planned for this site, the school district would need to coordinate their efforts with a Master Plan to help guide the process. Goals for these projects include increased parking capacity, new ticket booth and fan sequencing, new visitor’s concession stand, improved home fan experience, increased plaza space, and an updated and more established presence to Alma Boulevard. These goals manifest themselves through some of the following projects.

Scoreboard Relocation & New Bandshell | The existing large digital scoreboard was moved closer to the South endzone to provide fans with better views, and a more cohesive presence to its surrounding. Adjacent to the relocated scoreboard VBSD built an increased capacity bandshell. Moving the band to the South side of the stadium increases the public plaza space at the North side of the stadium, and once again helped to improve the atmosphere inside Blakemore Field.

Ticket Booth | The new head piece building to Blakemore Field referred to as the ticket booth building was developed to help fans access the stadium faster and improve the entrance sequence and presence to Alma Boulevard. A new modern building that addresses the materiality and style of the existing grand stand creates a program that includes 7 ticket windows, a new gift shop, storage, 2 large covered entrance gates, and 1 smaller season ticket holder’s gate.

Visitor’s Concessions | To better provide concession to both home fan’s and visitor’s, a new concession stand building will be constructed adjacent to the existing visitor’s stands. The current home concession stand and new food truck area will be relocated adjacent and below the current home grandstands. The new visitor’s concession building mimics the modern materiality and scale of the ticket building, pulling together all the structures onsite as a cohesive style.

On-Site Parking | Phase 1: improvements to, and expansion of the existing parting. Pulling from the existing parking context and available site, the onsite parking is more than doubled. Interior landscaping and perimeter fencing will be added to increase the natural beauty of the site, and help break up the sea of parking typical of large event football stadiums.

Phase 2 Improvements | Future plans for this site will include the removal of Izard Elementary, allowing for an additional 200 plus parking spaces, as well as renovated visitor’s locker rooms, and improved visiting bus traffic. Phase 2 will be important to the area as it address much needed traffic circulation concerns, as well as accounts for site drainage issues.