Historic preservationists who’ve been working to save LaPorte High School’s Kiwanis Field have received some good news. The school board has agreed to see what it would take to save the 75-year-old stadium while still modernizing it.
Preserve Historic LaPorte President Mark Kurth likens it to updating a historic home’s kitchen, bathrooms and mechanicals while faithfully preserving its exterior, hardwood floors and natural woodwork.
The LaPorte Community School board recently voted unanimously to enter an agreement with the nonprofit to commission a feasibility study. Kurth says the study will involve an assessment of the building condition, and then lay out preliminary plans and cost estimates of a renovation. He says ideally it would update the functional facilities while preserving the historical elements of the stadium exterior.
While this is only a study, Kurth says it’s a real win for preservationists.
“We’ve lobbied for a couple of years now with the school board and there’s been public support for moving forward with a renovation," Kurth says. "The stadium was listed on Indiana’s 10 Most Endangered Places this past fall and I think that got some public attention.”
The school corporation and Preserve Historic LaPorte will split the study’s cost, and they hope to hire a firm in the coming weeks.
