THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The second half of renovations to the Thomasville High School Bulldogs’ battleground is underway. 

The city schools’ athletic and facilities committees recently discussed the second phase of improvements to Veterans Memorial Stadium, which is split in two sub-phases. 

The first sub-phase is the installation of a new press box. 

Leon Lynn, architect with Jinwright, Ryan, and Lynn, said the stadium’s press box was demolished. A 12-inch concrete slab, Lynn said, will be put in place “to reinforce the existing columns” at the stadium.  

Lynn said the new press box will be free-standing and would not be accessed from the main grandstands. The current stadium stairs would be kept but the press box would have separate access from the bleachers, Lynn added. 

“That one stairwell meets the requirements,” he said. 

Committee members also discussed potential savings during the first sub-phase, which totaled to approximately $12,000. 

The new press box, from CCH Construction, Inc. for $539,000, has a tentative May 30 delivery date. 

The second sub-phase is work to the stadium’s plaza area. 

The scope of work, Lynn said, includes two ticketing spaces, decorative fencing, a memorial wall, along with an additional family bathroom and adding piping for the stadium’s surface water collection. 

“All of it will match the architecture of MacIntyre Park school,” Lynn said Wednesday. 

The budget for the project’s total second phase is approximately $850,000. 

The project’s first phase, which included synthetic turf installation, was completed last August. 

City school officials budgeted approximately $1.6 million in special purpose local options sales tax funds for the renovation project. 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.