Dr. Brian W. Scriven, superintendent of the Cheltenham School District, today sent updates to community members regarding the new athletics stadium at Cheltenham High School (500 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote).
According to Dr. Scriven’s email, the project is “Facing unavoidable delays due to permitting complexities and an unusually wet season.” The current completion target is set for the first or second week of October, though school officials are hoping for an earlier timeline.
“We are actively working with the contractor to explore every option to accelerate progress. Our top priority is to create opportunities for our student-athletes to compete at home as much as possible, and we are pushing hard to make that happen,” the email said.
The project recently received approval from the Montgomery County Conservation District, and “significant demolition of bleachers and track has occurred, and access fencing has been installed around the site. Contractors are now working on underground utilities, continued demolition of the bleachers and removal of soil from the playing surface,” Dr. Scriven wrote.
The email goes on to note that home varsity football games have been relocated to neutral sites this season.
“Neutral sites will be reserved as a contingency for additional home games if the updated timeline is not met. Additionally, all junior varsity games will be played away. Rather than playing all varsity games on the road, the following contests will now be hosted at Wissahickon High School, (521 Houston Road, Ambler, PA 19002):
- Friday, August 29 at 7 p.m. vs. Central Bucks East
- Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m. vs. Bensalem (Homecoming)
We understand and share in your frustration. We know how important it is for our students, families, and community to come together under the lights of our home field, especially for milestone events like Homecoming and Senior Night. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or frustration this may cause and appreciate your patience and flexibility during this time.
We’ll keep you informed every step of the way and remain confident that the end result — a modern, state-of-the-art stadium complex — will be well worth the wait. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you in the stands as we proudly represent Cheltenham on the field this fall,” the email said.
Official plans for the new stadium date back to September 2024 and include an artificial turf field with an infiltration bed beneath, an expansion of the existing track to eight lanes, the addition of sand pits for long jump, surfaces for high jump and pole vault functionalities, plus other field events.
The stadium’s bleachers are also up for expansion for a total of 2,916 seats “to accommodate typical/existing home and visiting crowd attendance,” according to the application.
A 3400 sf building is proposed to replace the entry gate, concession stand and restroom facilities, along with new fencing for crowd control purposes.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.