Allen High School, located in the northeast quadrant of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, drew simultaneous ire and awe in the construction of Eagle Stadium. Opened in 2012, the 18,000-seat facility houses a 38-foot wide video screen, all at the price tag of $60 million. It is very much the Taj Mahal of high school football.
And the Taj Mahal is now closed for repairs.
Upon discovery of "extensive cracking" on the stadium's concourse ranging in size from a quarter inch to three quarters of an inch, Eagle Stadium is now closed for repairs.
"There are concerns surrounding the stadium, but we have been -- for a long time -- part of the solution," said Ben Pogue of Pogue Construction, which built the stadium. "I'm optimistic that we're going to have a quick resolve to this that will not affect the football season that's coming up."
Allen ISD said the stadium will be closed until at least June and will "likely" affect home football games this fall. Other district events at the stadium, including graduation this spring, are either on hold or will have to be moved to another facility. The district has commissioned an engineering firm to conduct a study of the stadium; that study is 10 percent completed at this time.
"This is a significant investment for our community. We are very disappointed and upset that these problems have arisen," interim superintendent Beth Nicholas said. "It is unacceptable. Our students, families, and the entire community have always supported the district and our commitment to them is to make sure this issue is appropriately resolved."