Changes coming for Corbus Field

Corbus Field has given Vallejo and Jesse Bethel high school athletes plenty of thrills over the years.

Now the old stadium will receive some much-needed upgrades in the next few years.

The Vallejo Unified School Board approved a contract between the district and the Napabased Chaudhary and Associates for a site survey of Corbus Field and Casper Oval refurbishment project at last week’s meeting. The contract is worth $16,240 and will be paid through Measure S funds, according to the district.

The district has scheduled construction of phase one, which includes the turf and track, following high school graduations in June. Phase two of the makeover is not expected to happen until 2024 and will be much more involved. That will include demolishing the bleachers on both sides, the press box, bathrooms and locker rooms.

Both Vallejo High School and Jesse Bethel High School use Corbus Field for various sports, in

cluding football, soccer and track and field.

Josh Ramos, Vallejo High School’s athletic director, said the district told the two high schools they have to stay off the field after graduation until at least around Oct. 1.

That would mean about four “home” football games to be played elsewhere. Vallejo High has already worked out an agreement with St. Patrick-St. Vincent High. That could include some Saturday dates.

“There’s a possibility

it

could be the entire (football) year,” Ramos said. “We’re hoping to at least be back for the final game, which would be Vallejo and Bethel.”

Jaguars athletic director Jeff Turner said he hasn’t finalized anything with Bethel’s “home” games, but he plans to talk with Benicia High, American Canyon and even Solano Community College about using their fields.

“I am going to put some feelers out but if we have to play all road games, we will,” Turner said. “We had to do that about 15-17 years ago when the stadium was being worked on. I would feel bad for the seniors because it’s their last hurrah.”

Turner said he’s not in favor of playing Saturday games.

“I tried to balance my schedule,” he said. “No one likes playing Saturday games.”

Ramos said the proposed new look of the stadium would be similar to Drolette Stadium in Benicia and Napa Memorial Stadium.

One of the unique new features of the turf will be a Redhawks end zone on one side and a Jaguars end zone on the other.

While Benicia’s stadium was being worked on in 2016, Benicia played all road games for football. The construction affected the beginning of the 2017 season before the Panthers eventually played there for the first time in mid-September of 2017.

That project was a bit different as the entire stadium had to be rebuilt in one phase.

Still, Ramos is aware that with a project of this magnitude, there are sometimes delays.

“The turf and track is supposed to be a 3 ½ month process,” he said. “It’s much needed. The turf is in bad shape.”