More parking planned for Canon-Mac stadium
CANONSBURG – Come football season, parking is at a premium in the area of Jefferson Avenue in Canonsburg. When renovations are complete to Canon-McMillan Memorial Stadium, though, the number of off-street parking spaces will increase from 85 to more than 200.
Borough code dictates 1,562 off-street parking spaces for the stadium’s capacity, but the school district’s variance request for 223 parking spaces was granted by the Canonsburg zoning hearing board Tuesday during a public hearing.
“Any additional parking spaces they can add has got to be better than it is now,” said member Jeff Derrico.
Stadium work will be divided into two phases, with the first starting after the end of the football season.
During phase one, the existing visitors-side bleachers will be demolished and new bleachers will be constructed with a field house, locker rooms, concession stand and restrooms below, according to John Carly of HHSDR Architects-Engineers, which was hired by the district for the renovation.
Additional seating will be created. Some track and field events will be relocated. Phase one will result in 107 additional parking spaces, plus nine additional parking spaces for buses, in addition to the current five.
Phase two, which has not yet been scheduled, includes relocating the current administrative offices, construction of a ticket booth, weight room and restrooms, and creation of seven more parking spaces.
The district also is planning to eliminate the baseball field behind the stadium to make way for additional parking.
The township planning commission will review stadium plans during an Aug. 18 meeting.
District officials started planning for new construction, renovations and expansion of existing facilities after a demographic study performed in 2013 forecast a growing population in the district.
The stadium renovation is estimated to cost $7.3 million.