Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake plans to break ground on multimillion-dollar football stadium renovations early next year, if Crystal Lake City Council gives the plan a thumbs up.

Plans for the updated stadium at 6000 Dvorak Drive in Crystal Lake include an artificial turf field, resurfaced track and walkways, a new ticket booth and new long jump area.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission gave a positive recommendation for the plan in an unanimous vote last week. The school district is requesting a special use permit with variations that include 20-foot-high bleachers that go 5 feet above the maximum limit on accessory structures, 70-foot tall light poles and grass overflow parking for up to 257 cars.

The City Council is scheduled to give the final vote on the permit on Jan. 6. If approved, construction could start at the beginning of February, weather permitting, Shannon Podzimek, communications and community relations director for Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155.

Plans call for bleacher seating to expand from 1,546 to 2,777 seats, with taller bleachers on the visitor side and an expansion on both ends on the home side. Abraham Mora of FGM Architects said that, with the existing setup, attendees typically overflow into grassy areas.

“We’re really not planning on increasing or attracting more,” Mora said. “It’s really accommodating everybody that’s already attending.”

Improved Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility is also planned for the updated seating, District 155 Operations Director Troy Stinger said.

“We want people who come to our facilities to have a good experience. Right now, they’re not getting that,” Stinger said. “I would say, at best, those bleachers situated right now would be poor.”

The new artificial turf field would be striped to allow for soccer and lacrosse. Underground tanks will be installed along the running track on the visitor side to handle water runoff, civil engineer Glen Eriksson said.

Two residents spoke at the plan commission with concerns over lighting, sound and water detention. The stadium abuts residential homes approximately 110 feet away. With the expansion of the visitor section, the fence will be moved about 30 feet closer to the homes, according to city documents.

The architects and civil engineers said the lighting and sound will be improved, with both being better directed to lessen their impact outside the stadium property. The new distributed speaker system will be aimed at the crowd and can be played at a lower volume, rather than one sound system blaring for the whole stadium to hear, Mora said.

To pay for the project, the district is using a combination of district funds, private donations and bonds. The district is paying $5.14 million for the project through the general fund, which covers installation of artificial turf, bleachers, track resurfacing and enhanced safety and security, according to a previous District 155 news release.

The goal is to raise another $1 million from private donors – money that would cover enhancements for the ticket booth and restrooms and common area expansions. So far, District 155 has raised nearly $223,000, and the $500,000 stadium sponsor spot is still available, Podzimek said. With the stadium sponsor donation, the school will provide a 10-year naming rights deal at the entrance, along with recognition plaques for lower donation levels.

Donations can be made online at prcapitalcampaign.d155.org.

The board last January approved borrowing $13.3 million through alternative revenue bond to contribute to the funding of stadium and theater renovations planned at all its four high schools. Theater renovations started this summer, and the district has a goal to complete all stadium renovations by August 2029, officials have said.

The school board agreed to “not seek additional funds from taxpayers beyond the tax levy for stadium renovations,” according to the previous release.

The Wolves’ football team just completed a stellar year with an undefeated regular season.