Sports complex may be home for Geneva Eagles

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

May 05, 2008 11:50 pm

— HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Geneva Area City Schools board of education members nodded their heads enthusiastically Monday as Ron Clutter spoke of facilities far beyond the financial means of any Ashtabula County school district.
Clutter unveiled plans for a $100 million not-for-profit, two-building indoor/outdoor sports complex Monday morning, tying up loose athletic ends for the local school district.
“We are so excited about this project,” school board member David Foote said. “There is no way Geneva schools could afford a complex like this.”
The school board may abandon plans for the construction of new football fields and instead opt to lease the outdoor portion of the new sports facility, making the district a tenant of the complex, Clutter said.
“I want to be very clear here: No tax levy money will be used in the construction of this complex,” Clutter said. “So far everything involved will be paid for by charitable donations, not tax levies.”
Clutter said the school district has the option to put the money that would be used for a lesser quality stadium into the new sports complex and use the state-of-the-art facility as the official Eagles stadium.
“But that is their choice. The district may want to abandon its fields and forego the expensive maintenance for this option,” Clutter said. “This is my way to give back to my hometown. This is for the schools if they want it.”
School board member Ed Brashear said he is excited about the possibilities available to the district through the new development.
“It is certainly an exciting time to live, work and go to school in Geneva,” he said.