Houston County School leaders begin new stadium design talks

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Houston County school officials say they’re one step closer to building a new football stadium. 

“It doesn’t really matter where you’re at…,” Houston County High School’s head football coach, Von Lassiter, said. 

He says when it comes to dealing with the elements, his players are tough.

“You’ve got to kick-off, you’ve got run down the field, and you’ve got to play,” Lassiter said. 

Still he says it will be nice to see a new stadium right in the school’s backyard. 

School board members approved the go ahead to begin sketches on what the facility will look like. 

“…just a nice place for our county to be proud of and that’s to be a home to two great schools,” Lassiter said. 

Houston County schools’ director of facilities, Scott Hill, says the new stadium will reduce some of the wear and tear on McConnell – Talbert stadium’s field. 

Three teams call it home.

“That’s going to be at any stadium and that’s going to be on any field unless it’s artificial turf,” Lassiter said. .

“We’re going to take one team off of that field and then Veterans has been playing in Perry, they’re going to be coming up here. So it’ll be Veterans and Houston County sharing the stadium,” Hill said. 

There aren’t renderings yet of what the new stadium will look like, but Hill says the $7 million project should hold about 6,000 people. 

A new home Coach Lassiter is happy about and can’t wait to see the finished product. 

“I have played in a lot of places that are not as nice as where we play now so I’m thankful that our county makes football a priority,” he said. 

In addition to the stadium, the school district is planning on building a $5 million transportation complex near the stadium that will hold all of the county’s buses. 

Hill says both projects should be complete by January of 2017.