Coweta County Schools

Press Release Coweta County Schools
Date: January 13, 2012

Replacement of home stands at Drake Stadium continues at Newnan High School

Work is proceeding to replace the visitor’s side stands at Drake stadium on the Newnan High campus. The project is on schedule for completion by mid May, 2012, before Newnan High School’s graduation ceremony.

Work began over the school system’s Thanksgiving break, after the Newnan Cougars 2011 season came to a close on November 18. General contractor Torrance Construction began removal of the 45-year-old home-side stadium, with demolition of the stand completed before the school system’s Christmas and New Year’s break.

By early January, pier columns for the lower level bleachers and the upper section of the south retaining wall were completed, as were installation of storm-water piping systems and the installation of the north end, home side, field-light pole.  Grading for the north retaining wall was scheduled to on January 9. Backfilling at the south retaining wall will continue upon completion of the upper wall section.  Structural steel is scheduled for delivery in mid-January, and material for the lower level bleachers is scheduled for delivery in mid-February. 

The project is scheduled to be finished before the high school’s May 25 graduation, which will allow 2012 commencement ceremonies to go forward in their traditional setting in Drake Stadium. The new stands will provide more seating in Drake stadium.

The current stadium seats about 4,300 people in all, according to Georgia High School Association rules of estimating seating capacity. The new homestands will be slightly taller, and longer, stretching to both end zones of the school’s football fields. In all, the new home stand – coupled with existing visitor’s side seating – will accommodate slightly over 6,000 fans, which is required for home-hosting of football playoffs.

The new facility will also have more handicapped seating and restroom facilities, and will replace the current concession stands, press box and dressing facilities.

In all, replacement of the stands and associated work was contracted for $4,794,893. The project was approved by the Coweta County Board of Education last spring, after engineering reviews in early 2011 showed structural deterioration in the aging facility. Repairs of the structure in May allowed the high school to use the stands through the end of the 2011 football season.

Alternate fields on the Newnan High School campus will need to be used in some cases until construction is completed later in the spring. Temporary wiring of the baseball and football scoreboards has been completed for spring sports, allowing those programs to go forward on campus.

Newnan High School’s Drake stadium is named after Walter Homer Drake, Sr., who served as the Newnan City Schools Superintendent for 23 years, until his death in 1964. Drake’s successor was Newnan High School principal O.P. Evans, who served as Newnan City Schools Superintendent from 1964 until 1969. Drake and Evans – working with Coweta County School officials – set the groundwork for the merger of the two school systems in 1969.  

During his tenure, Drake oversaw growth in Newnan City Schools’ faculty, educational programs, and facilities, including construction of the new Newnan High in 1952 as well as Central High School, Ruth Hill, Fairmount, Elm Street and Atkinson elementary schools. Drake’s family was present when the stadium was dedicated in his memory on September 2, 1966.

Work began on the replacement of the home stands at Newnan High School’s Drake stadium over the 2011 Thanksgiving Break and is on track to be completed by mid May of 2012.