Local
DeKalb School Board Approves $2.7M Seacrest Stadium Expansion in Dunwoody
The DeKalb County School Board on Nov. 9 approved construction and sponsorship agreements for a $2.7 million expansion of Seacrest Stadium at Dunwoody High School, funded largely by a $1.5 million community campaign and a donation from the Seacrest family. The project will bring stadium capacity to 3,000 and allow the Wildcats to host their first true home football game in school history by the 2027 season.
The DeKalb County School Board voted at its Nov. 9 meeting to approve the final agreements needed for construction at Seacrest Stadium in Dunwoody, clearing the way for a $2.7 million expansion that supporters say will transform the school and surrounding community.
The board approved two measures: a contract with BlueGold Construction Management LLC/Fortune-Johnson LLC and a sponsorship development agreement with the Dunwoody High School Community Association. The project is funded through the "Bring it Home" campaign, which raised $1.5 million, along with a substantial donation from the Seacrest family believed to exceed $1 million. Ryan Seacrest, the television and radio host who graduated from Dunwoody High School in 1993, is associated with the family gift.
The improvements include expanded seating to bring stadium capacity to 3,000, a press box, restrooms, a ticket booth, a concession building, landscaping, fencing and lighting. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2027 football season, when the Wildcats would host their first home game in school history and gain a venue for other sporting and community events.
"Bring it Home" organizers described the project as more than a facility upgrade. Former Dunwoody High teacher Steve Fortenberry said a fully functioning home stadium had been discussed for more than two decades.
"We just kept saying 'We gotta do this,' and a lot of people said it would never get done, but here we are," Fortenberry said. "This is going to be such a great boost for the community and all of DeKalb County."
Bryan Jordin, who joined the "Bring it Home" committee a little more than a year ago, said the school board's approval was "the first finishing line that needed to be crossed." He credited Superintendent Dr. Norman Sauce and Chief of Capital Improvements Darrell Stallings with keeping the project moving.
"It would have been easy for them to put this as a last priority, but they didn't," Jordin said.
Fortenberry said football coach Matthew Schmitz and others at the school are enthusiastic about the stadium's potential to attract students. "This is going to be a big selling point as middle school students consider going to Dunwoody," he said.
Both organizers hope the private-public partnership can serve as a model for future school system projects, including arts centers. They also anticipate the moment the Wildcats take the field for their first true home game.
"They have never had the experiences of making traditions, like running out of their own tunnel so it's going to be awesome," Jordin said. "It's going to be a true community meeting space where people can come together."
Groundbreaking ceremonies are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.