One of the most expensive high school football stadiums in America is getting even more costly thanks to the rising cost of concrete and additional roadwork being done around the facility.
The McKinney Independent School District's stadium was already projected to cost right around $62.8 million.
Now the school board has been given an update pushing that number up $7.1 million – a much higher price tag than what voters in the area approved earlier this year. The new estimate will make this the most expensive high school stadium ever built, according to the Associated Press.
The Dallas Morning News reported:
Much of the roughly 11 percent hike is attributed to skyrocketing concrete prices and additional road construction around the site, district officials said. The district initially planned to build the roads in a couple of phases, but officials have decided to construct them at the same time to help with traffic flow.
A district presentation also showed an uptick in concrete costs 50 percent above the original estimate.
"You see more concrete going up than I can remember in a long, long, long time. There are only so many companies that can provide that service," said Jason Bird, the district's chief financial officer, who was in the hot seat during most of Tuesday's meeting. "This is not an item that is specific to McKinney ISD."
Three high school football teams will use that facility as their home field in North Texas. It will also be available for use by soccer and lacrosse teams.
Down in the Houston area, the Katy School District earlier this year saw the price of its mega high school football stadium go up more than $4 million. It was already projected to cost $58 million.
That stadium, scheduled to open in the fall of next year, will have 12,000 seats, a two-story field house, and parking for about 4,000 cars.
