THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410280292
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
They're talking about Frank D. Lawrence Stadium again.
Tear it down . . . fix it up . . . relocate it.
Possibly any definite action will hinge upon the approval of the Ray Gindroz Plan. His Urban Design Associates firm is presenting a 10-year plan for the city in November.
Bids will be taken by the city for the demolition of the present facility at the close of the football season. Two of the city council members have indicated they will vote against tearing down the stadium unless a new stadium will be ready before the start of the 1995 season.
Apparently the present 54-year-old stadium is sitting in the wrong place.
There has been mention that the proposed new I.C. Norcom High School will be relocated a short distance from the site that had been discussed previously.
It's my understanding, that looking on from London Boulevard, the school will be on the left near Peninsula Avenue and the stadium relocated to the right near Jamestown Avenue. Reflecting pools would be between them, apparently in an effort to create the illusion of water on both sides of London.
This probably hinges around the dredging of Scott's Creek with the hope of making that area a boating haven.
The site plan that is now being considered actually flip-flops the original plan - which had the school to the immediate right of the stadium from London Boulevard.
My first thought was that the cart is being put before the horse. Why tear down the stadium until the high school is built?
But city engineer Richard Hartman points out that Lawrence Stadium could not be used at all when construction on the high school begins. There will be work crews, trucks and building equipment scattered throughout that area. Construction would be much easier with the stadium removed. Demolition of the stadium is estimated at $100,000.
Hartman said present plans call for a stadium similar to the one at Churchland. ``It will have more seating,'' said Hartman. Churchland Stadium has 3,500 seats. This stadium will seat 5,000.
Hopefully, it will have a better press box. The Churchland press box cannot accommodate those who need to be there. Someone needs to visit the Western Branch Stadium and simply copy it.
There also has been a misconception on the part of many of us that the Virginia High School League was bypassing Portsmouth for region football playoffs because Lawrence Stadium is inadequate.
It might be. But that isn't the reason.
``We only set requirements for the state playoffs,'' said Larry Johnson, the VHSL programs supervisor. ``The regions set their own requirements for the regional events.''
The state playoff requirement is for 6,000 seats for Division 6 and 5,000 for Division 5.
Obviously Eastern Region officials feel the facilities in Chesapeake are superior since all games are being held there. Reportedly Oscar Smith's new stadium will be one of the sites this year.
But let's not sit back and bicker about Lawrence Stadium. That's been going on for years.
The past week city council agreed to meet with the city manager and the school board before it takes a formal vote on whether to demolish the stadium.
How about this entire group getting together, mapping out exactly what needs to be done and do it? ``We have a lot of dreams,'' one councilman said to me.
Let's make this one a reality. by CNB