Stadium first of bond projects

Estancia High School is set to break ground on a new multi-sport stadium in January, marking the first project of the $282-million Measure F school bond voters passed last fall.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board voted unanimously to order up to $75 million in bonds from the county treasurer. For nearly a decade, the district and community have pursued plans to build an Estancia stadium, with the nonprofit group Costa Mesa United raising millions of dollars to help pay for the construction.

In part because it had been in preparation for so long, Deputy Supt. Paul Reed said, the athletic structure landed first on the Measure F list.

“We focused on those things we had plans for, and that effort by the community did help to jump-start that project,” he said.

Also on the docket for early Measure F work were a gymnasium at TeWinkle Middle School and a replacement for the condemned Robins Hall at Newport Harbor High School. Those projects were left over from Measure A, Newport-Mesa’s previous school bond, and Reed said both would likely start construction next spring. The district expects the county to order the bonds next month and have the funds available in January.

So after eight years, numerous fundraisers, a half a million dollars in district pledge money and checks from wealthy donors around town, the Estancia Eagles may play their first home football game next year.

“I’ve been working on it since 1998, and this is a huge relief,” said school board President David Brooks, also a member of the fundraising group Costa Mesa United.

In August 1999, the school board voted to spend $365,000 to draw plans for a football stadium at Estancia and an Olympic-sized swimming pool at Costa Mesa High School. Altogether, the board pledged $500,000 to both projects, with other funds allotted for an architect.

Shortly afterward, the foundations of the two schools joined to form the Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation. Through their fundraising arm, Costa Mesa United, the members hosted a golf tournament, shared some of the proceeds from the annual Lions Club fish fry and hosted a million-dollar Memorial Day drive at Costa Mesa schools, encouraging students to garner pledges from friends and family.

Still, Costa Mesa United came up far short of the $9.4 million it sought to raise for the pool and stadium. Brooks said his group would donate all the money it had raised to the district for the two projects. To date, the members have collected around $4 million in cash and pledges.

City Councilwoman Katrina Foley, also a Costa Mesa United member, said the district’s announcement Tuesday felt like vindication after years of work.

“The time has come,” she said. “I think all of us who worked on this can’t wait to break ground.”

Moreover, Brooks noted, having a Costa Mesa stadium would take some of the burden off students. With the Newport Harbor High School stadium accommodating four schools, teams have often been forced to play on weeknights after long days of studying.

“When you have four high schools playing at the same stadium, someone has to play on Thursday night,” Brooks said.