HOUSTON – Aug. 10, 2018 – As construction of Spring ISD’s replacement stadium moves forward, the district is adding a special feature to the project – a memorial to honor the sacrifice of area service members.
“This memorial will offer a way for Spring to show its respect and pride for the dedicated men and women from our community who have served their country,” said Trustee Chris Bell. “We really want this special place to honor those brave men and women, as well as those who have given the ultimate sacrifice on the part of our nation.”
The Board of Trustees discussed the planned design of the memorial at a work session on Thursday. Located on the east side of the stadium, the memorial will feature a circular monolith design with contemplative bench seating. Flags representing all the services – Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, as well as the Merchant Marine, embrace the site. Another flag pays tribute to those who have gone missing or were prisoners of war.
“We’ve centrally located the U.S. Flag in the middle surrounded by the branches of the services,” said Ben McMillan, IDG Architects. “We tried to integrate seating areas so when you walk around the memorial you can sit down and reflect.”
The stadium and memorial will be located on a 117-acre parcel of land off Cypresswood Dr. just south of Burchett Elementary school, featuring a state-of-the art turf field with seating for 8,000 fans, a large community room, Hall of Fame area, band plaza, concessions and food-prep areas, home-and-away locker rooms, as well as hospitality and press box areas.
“It’s a beautiful design,” said Trustee Deborah Jensen, “I’d like to thank Trustee Donald Davis and Trustee Bell for the idea for this memorial.”
Trustees also recognized the valuable input from other community members who helped with the project, especially Captain Boyer, from Spring High School JROTC, who was invaluable in assisting the Board and IDG Architects on the development of the idea and the ultimate design presented to the community.
The actual construction of the memorial is expected to take place concurrently with work on the stadium. Site work for both projects is ongoing in preparation for the foundations. An official groundbreaking for the stadium will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 a.m. The Spring ISD community is invited to attend this celebratory milestone.