Crookston sports fans and community members, the wait is over regarding construction and operations for the new Multi-Use Complex facility at Crookston High School.
Crookston Superintendent Randy Bergquist and Activities Director Nate Labarski said the excavating work will begin as soon as April 15. “The project is coming along rather nicely,” said Bergquist. “The excavating works begin Wednesday. Just to be transparent, we are held up once again on a plumbing permit.”
The Crookston School District ran into plumbing permitting issues with the Highland addition in the summer of 2023. Crookston High School applied for this permit in February this year for the complex and is yet to hear back from the state of Minnesota. However, without a plumbing permit, the district can still install drain tile. “They’re going to allow us to put the drain tile in without a plumbing permit,” said Activities Director Nate Lubarski. “Which means we will be able to work on the field portion of the facility in the timeline we’re looking for. The excavating will start on the field on Wednesday, and we should be able to go from there.”
The Crookston Public Schools Policy Committee also reviewed and approved the start and end goal dates for all the work to be done at the complex. Below is a list of the work and the estimated start and finish dates (weather and conditions permitting).
- General Work and Labor such as framing, rock/tape, and partitions to begin June 18-August 30
- Electrical work to begin April 22-August 9
- Earthwork to begin April 15-August 2
- Concrete-building/Site Surfacing to begin April 29-July 9
- Asphalt Paving to begin June 17-July 30
- Landscaping to begin August 5-August 9
- Site Fencing to begin April 22-August 30
- Site Utility Installation to begin April 15-May 10
- Sprint Turf installation to begin July 29-August 22
- Track installation to begin July 31- August 8
- Grandstand installation to begin June 10-July 26
- Plumbing Installation TBD
Lubarski said it is an exciting time for the Crookston community, and even seeing construction being done should spark interest from our sports fans. “I think even seeing a bulldozer out there is exciting,” said Lubarski. “It’s exciting for our students and staff, but also for the community as a whole. When they see this project is happening, it’s been a little bit of a wait since we passed the referendum. But being able to see the construction start, I think it will be a good thing for Crookston.”
Many Crookston residents will be able to see the progress of the facility throughout the summer while passing the high school. Residents should also look out for live updates that will be captured from drone footage during construction. The footage captured from the drones will be posted on the Crookston High School Facebook page, and we will also try to post them on our website.
