The installation of artificial turf at Bear Stadium, part of a $1.5 million improvements project, was expected to begin today. By August, renovations of dressing rooms and the addition of sidewalks, a concession stand, a new scoreboard, and tennis courts are expected to be complete. File Photo Hellas Construction is scheduled to begin installing artificial turf at Bear Stadium today, but work on many of the other upgrades has not started, Brownsboro Independent School District Superintendent Elton Caldwell said.

“They should be ready to do the carpet on Thursday, and I think that’s supposed to take one or two weeks. They’ve just now begun to start on the sidewalk work and are getting their plans drawn and approved.”

Officials in April approved spending $1.5 million on installing the turf, adding a new concession stand, renovating dressing rooms, adding 1,360 seats on the home side of the stadium, building tenns courts, and installing a new score- board.

Only the turf is expected to be ready for graduation ceremonies on June 5. The rest of the work is scheduled to be complete by August.

The additional stadium seats will be added in front of each 10-yard line. New tennis courts will be built between Brownsboro Intermediate School and the baseball fields, and a concession stand and restrooms will be built on the west side of the stadium, on the north end of the practice tennis court. A sidewalk will also be built between the new concession stand and the stadium.

The district will pay for the work from its fund balance or maintenance budget or both.

Graduation has been moved from Tyler Junior College to Bear Stadium this year.

Dressing rooms for male and female athletes are small and often shared, restrooms and showers are inadequate, the stadium is outdated and poses publicsafety concerns, a makeshift structure serves as the fieldhouse, and parking for football games is nearly nonexistent.

At the stadium, during football games, students and fans regularly watch from outside seating areas on grass, in parking lots, and near State Highway 31 behind the north end of the football field.

Cars are parked in front of businesses, around Brownsboro Elementary School and Brownsboro Junior High School, and in residential areas nearby.

Trustees want to finance improvements at and around the stadium separately from tax revenue garnered from a November bond proposal.