Student Transportation of America (STA) Stadium (Williamsport, PA)

ELA Sport engineers gave a new perspective to the design and improvement plans for the Student Transportation of America (STA) Stadium, track, and fields in Williamsport, PA. They completed the facility renovations in less than a year.

STA Stadium has been the home for Williamsport High School athletic teams and a valued community asset for over 40 years. Over that time, heavy use of the facility had taken its toll, so the School District and community leaders recognized that renovations and upgrades were required to modernize the facility. With a desire to renovate the facility without burdening the community through a tax increase, the “Return to Glory” capital campaign was launched by the Williamsport Area School District Education Foundation Board of Directors. The Williamsport area community and business leaders quickly and generously responded to the campaign, providing significant funds. With grants and other financial sources, these donations covered the project’s cost.

Frustrated after prior designs for the facility renovations could not be awarded via the public bid process due to excessive costs, the district administration contacted ELA Sport to bring a fresh perspective to the project program and design approach. Working closely with the Keystone Purchasing Network (KPN) premium sports specific vendors, including FieldTurf USA, Beynon Sports Surfaces, Musco Sports Lighting, and GT Grandstands, ELA Sport facilitated a co-operative design/build project effort between the District, these vendors, and their construction subcontractors to deliver a turnkey design/build proposal in just eight weeks after being tasked by the District to develop a project that met their required program and available funding.

Improvements to the stadium included a new synthetic turf field, running track renovations, new track and field venues, new stadium lighting, new visitor grandstands, new concrete and bituminous paving, segmental retaining walls, and other improvements. The renovations were completed in approximately 10 months from initial design through first use of the facility, with final completion in less than a year. This team approach resulted in a final project cost of just under $3.5 million and represented a significant cost reduction, without sacrificing program, product quality, and construction quality.