PORTLAND, Tx — The Gregory-Portland Independent School District (GPISD) is aiming for a 2025 completion date for its multi-million-dollar athletic facilities.
The facilities include a brand new two-story, all-purpose practice facility/fieldhouse, which will be 153,000 square feet, and new baseball and softball fields at Gregory-Portland High School.
“And once it's completed, it will really fulfill those needs as well as some dreams that our kids and our communities had for our students," Superintendent Michelle Cavazos told KRIS 6.
The project is part of the $176 million school bond proposition passed by voters in May 2023. The district officially broke ground on the project in November of that year.
These new facilities will include a weight room, film room, 120-yard synthetic turf field, band storage, bullpens, two batting cages, and more.
Cavazos believes the facility will not only benefit the district's athletes but all students. "Band students typically perform on the turf, but when practicing, they're in the parking lot, which is very hot in the sun." She continued, "This will give them an indoor space where they're out of the sun and can practice on a football field."
"And so this just elevates that space and provides a welcoming environment for all who get the opportunity to be part of it. And then the other is that this is more than more than just one sport. We have multiple sports that will be able to use this space as well. So tennis is getting some space in there. They already have courts, but they didn't have locker rooms or restrooms that were really accessible for them. With our new Wildcat Park, with baseball and softball, their locker rooms are their track and field, you know, will also have locker rooms. So all of our sports will have an accessible space for them. And then that also frees up and opens up some space in our existing high school and those locker rooms for our indoor sports, so that everybody has an adequate space to really maximize the the storage, but also preparation spaces for them."
Pending any potential weather delays, the project is "on track" for completion sometime next year, according to Cavazos.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
