Sat, May 17 2008
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Published May 07, 2008 07:19 pm - As soft earth is overturned in the very first stages of development of a $100 million sports complex, Geneva Area City School officials are trying to figure out where the Geneva Eagles will land. Geneva schools will use proposed sports complex Faith-based status will not affect school district’s use of facility By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com Star Beacon GENEVA — As soft earth is overturned in the very first stages of development of a $100 million sports complex, Geneva Area City School officials are trying to figure out where the Geneva Eagles will land.
“The school has had some input in terms of the needs of the district, and we are working to develop a user agreement,” Superintendent Ronald Donatone said. The indoor/ outdoor sports complex will be located at Interstate 90 and Route 534, behind Pizza Hut and Chops Steak and Tap House, in Harpersfield Township. The complex will provide indoor basketball, volleyball, track, tennis and soccer facilities, as well as an outdoor stadium meant for school use, developer Ron Clutter said. “We are very excited about (the complex). A community of this size could never afford a facility like this,” Donatone said. “And the schools are absolutely looking to take advantage.” Of some concern to residents is Clutter’s resolve to run the nonprofit sports center under Christian beliefs, including displaying the 10 Commandments. “There are a few things that we will focus on. We will be patriotic without compromise,” Clutter said. “We will fly the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing ‘God Bless America.’ We believe that is the inner strength of what made this country, and we will not compromise that.” Donatone said he doesn’t believe the center’s religious affiliation will have a negative impact on the school’s use of the facility. “I don’t think it will be a problem, at all,” Donatone said. “As simply users of the center and not owners, the school is not responsible to set standards or restrictions on (the center). It is the right of the owners to display things based on their nonprofit status.” Donatone said while no taxpayer funds will be used to construct the complex, the district may opt to divert funds that otherwise would be used to develop, upgrade and maintain school-owned fields in order to lease facilities at the complex. “But we haven’t discussed any dollar amounts yet,” he said. The district will go ahead with plans to build softball, baseball and football practice fields at the high school, at a cost of $229,000. “The schools would need those fields, regardless of use at the sports complex,” Donatone said. “We need fields that are in close proximity to the school, for practice.” Though the district is in the middle of a large-scale construction project that will replace three elementary schools and the middle school, the cost of athletic fields is not budgeted in the construction funds issued by the Ohio School Facilities Commission, Donatone said. The new sports complex, to be finished in 2009, will include two 150,000-square-foot buildings and an indoor stadium. The buildings will hold volleyball, tennis and basketball courts and weightlifting and elliptical exercise equipment. The stadium will hold 4,000 seats, and have an all-weather track, locker rooms and an artificial-turf soccer field. Clutter said the complex will focus on educational recreation for people of all ages and will be a drug-free zone for employees and participants, and will offer counseling for people with drug and alcohol problems, smokers and weight-loss counseling. Children will present their report cards and receive tutoring if needed. 
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