SIDNEY — The Sidney Athletic Booster Group is on another mission to improve the athletic facilities for the student athletics in Sidney City Schools.

Booster Chairperson Dave Rose told members of the Board of Education the boosters want the construct a student athletic center beside the football stadium.

“We have gone through this discussion for a long time,” said Rose. “One and a half years ago, we sought designs for a multi-purpose building. It had a cost of $1.5 million.”

Knowing the cost was prohibitive, the group went back to the drawing board and came up with a new game plan.

“We’re looking at an all-steel building,” said Rose. “It would be a long-term facility and last for 50 years. It’s a good structure and fits all state and city codes.”

Rose said the boosters would like to see the structure built at the northeast corner of the football stadium on the visitor’s side of the field. A fence would be removed for the construction.

“It would be a 60 foot by 100 foot facility,” said Rose. “The front racing side goes into the stadium and we would use the same brick design as the field house has. It would have the same roofing color. The other three sides will be metal. There will be three roll-up doors which will go onto the turf.”

Requirements for the facility, said Rose, includes 14-foot wall height, wind and snow load requirements, R19 insulation in both the walls and roof, concrete floor, an open concept, heat but no air conditioning, key fob access, a permanent net at the 14-foot level, 3 1/2 foot semi-permanent net off the walls and two curtain walls.

He said the facility wouldn’t be just for softball and baseball athletics. It could be used by all athletes playing soccer, football, tennis and golf.

“Youth summer camps could be held there,” said Rose. “And it can provide Friday Night Light support and serve as an overflow locker room area. Class reunions could gather there. The band could go there in inclement weather conditions.”

The anticipated cost of the project will be between $300,000-400,000.

“There will be a lot of in-kind donations,” said Rose. “By the end of the week, we’ll have a better handle on the cost.”

Rose said the athletic booster group will run the project through the Community Foundation of Shelby County.

“There will be a three-year pledge period,” said Rose. There’s a fundraiser meeting set for May 22 and the final budget is expected by May 25.

“This will be a state of the art facility,” said Rose.

Sidney City Schools Athletic Director Mitch Hoying said the addition of the student athletic complex will be an added benefit for the students and coaches.

“This is the structure that keeps our athletic program up-to-date,” said Hoying. “It will free up other areas at the high school for other sports. This will also allow us to keep growing.”

The project, said Hoying, will be 100 percent privately funded. No tax monies will be used for the project.

Hoying said a possible completion date for the project is the winter of the 2018-19 school year.