March 19, 2009
Liverpool High school football, field hockey and lacrosse teams have not played a home game since their stadium closed in 2007. This year will be the third year that Liverpool has no meets and no home site. Liverpool has plans to renovate its 80,000 square foot field. Athletic Director, Mark Potter said the original reason people were hesitant to approve the renovation was because they thought it would take money from education funds. "The controversy had become, 'I don't think the governor, the budget he prepared in December will be the same in March. I think he's going to make more cuts and the cuts are going to come in building aid,'" Potter said.
Potter said Albany guaranteed Liverpool 86 percent reimbursement for the project. He also said, with federal aid and reserve, the school district still has enough money for any future plans. Taxpayers will not pay any additional taxes either. Since the stadium closed, football attendance has dropped from six thousand to nearly two thousand people at their Solvay temporary home site. Potter said because less people are coming to games, local restaurants are suffering and fewer students are going out for sports teams. Losing the stadium has hurt others in the Liverpool community. "One of our things has been 'bring our kids home,' so that's really where we're going," Potter said.
The renovations will include a new field and and all-weather, eight lane track. Potter said the stadium should be finished by summer of two thousand ten. Potter said by the time Liverpool's sophomores are seniors, they should have a new athletic stadium.
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