GILROY—This time last year, Gilroy High was scrambling for a solution for its condemned bleachers. The home side bleachers had been deemed “not structurally sound” by San Jose-based Duquette Engineering and were said to be out of commission until April 2014.
The Gilroy Unified School District compensated with portable bleachers for the 2013-14 school year, but it was only a temporary solution. Week after week, Mustangs football coach Brian Boyd and his team stood on their home side with the abandoned bleachers behind them and the cheers of their fans greatly diminished by the distance the field between them created.
After more than a year, the bleachers still aren’t quite ready for habitation, but the future looks bright. Crews from San Luis Obispo-based PMSM Architects are hard at work at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex and are aiming to have construction complete well before the Mustangs first home game against Half Moon Bay at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19.
“That’s my office,” Boyd said. “From the bleachers to what we’re going to put on the field, we’re excited for this season.”
Gilroy principal Marco Sanchez said crews are currently working on a wheelchair platform located on the bottom right side of the bleachers to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Workers will then focus on reinforcing the bleachers and will make improvements to the stairs. The GHS administration have been fielding calls about the bleachers and forced to look at the gated, tapped off area since it was condemned. Sanchez said it will be a relief to finally have them open again.
“It’s an eyesore having gates and fences in that area,” he said.
The lack of fan presence and aesthetic aspects of the bleachers are just a fraction of the problems that plagued Gilroy High last year. The Mustangs were slated to host the Central Coast Section Track and Field semifinals and finals in May, but the events had to be relocated to San Jose City College. Sanchez estimates the school lost between $10,000 and $12,000 in possible concessions sales, but noted that GUSD—especially Superintendent Debbie Flores—was “very accommodating” and reimbursed the school for travel costs to SJCC.
Athletic teams weren’t the only ones affected, however. Gilroy High also hosted the Western Band Association Gilroy Garlic Classic in Oct. 2013, which featured around 20 marching bands. With the temporary bleachers still in place, the show was able to go on as planned.
The bleachers were condemned just weeks before the 2013 graduation ceremony, which was set to take place on the football field. Gilroy was forced to relocate graduation to Centennial Circle, but Sanchez said doing so actually worked out for the better.
“Centennial Circle is probably the best thing I think that’s ever happened—that’s not even disputable,” the GHS principal said. “As long as we can accommodate the size of the crowd safely, we will continue to have it in Centennial Circle.”
While there is still much work to be done on the bleachers, GHS Athletic Director Julie Berggren said she’s confident the project will be completed on time.
“I have no concerns. I’m staying positive and it’s going to happen,” she said. “Last year was miserable and everybody had to endure what happened. I don’t think that anybody from either school or the district office wants to have to deal with that again.”
The project was originally planned to be complete by April, but was held up while awaiting approval from the California Department of General Services Division of the State Architect. It was estimated to cost $40,900 according to a Nov. 2013 GUSD agenda briefing. The Gilroy Dispatch made multiple attempts to contact GUSD Maintenance Manager Dan McAuliffe for project details, over the course of two weeks, but was unable to reach him for comment.
