Park City High School's remodeled Dozier Field welcomed fans for the first time this season, with about 80% of the $48.7 million athletic facilities project complete.
The Miners hosted Salem Hills on Sept. 12 and lost 14-7, falling to 1-4. But the bigger story was the stadium itself. A new entryway, bathrooms, first-level stands, a walkway and a speaker system were all in place, the Park Record reported. Food trucks filled in for the unfinished concession stand, according to KPCW.
Still unfinished: the track, the second level of stands, press boxes, concession stands, locker rooms and a walkway around the stadium.
Park City High School Principal Caleb Fine said the school was thrilled to host a home game after the facility had been closed for an extended period. He said fans could get a sense of the finished product even with work remaining. Fine hopes the completed stadium can hold about 3,000 people once the upper stands and surrounding turf seating are in place.
The school hopes to have additional features ready for homecoming Friday, Sept. 25, when the Miners host Uintah. No source has specified which items will be finished by then.
The project has missed multiple deadlines. The Miners' original home opener Aug. 28 against Morgan had to be moved to South Summit High School in Kamas because Dozier wasn't ready. A mandatory 100-foot setback along Lucky John Drive forced the district to relocate the press box and locker rooms from the north side of the site to the west side, according to the Park Record.
Park City School District Business Administrator Randy Upton said the full Dozier Field timeline is the end of October but acknowledged the district has missed multiple deadlines along the way. The district is not drawing on additional funds or its fund balance to cover costs, Upton said, crediting built-in contingencies and favorable interest rates.
Kristina Hoeksema, a Park City parent whose daughter Finley is a junior lacrosse player at the school, attended the game with her husband Alan, a contractor. She wasn't fazed by the timeline.
"If you anticipate anything other than delays in construction, you'd be delusional," Hoeksema said.
The district plans a ribbon-cutting celebration after the project wraps. After the Friday, Sept. 25 homecoming game, the Miners' only remaining regular-season home date is Oct. 14 against Deer Creek.


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