BILLINGS — Billings Public Schools superintendent Dr. Erwin Garcia believes that an estimated $7-10 million proposal to give Daylis Stadium some much-needed renovations in time for the 2025-26 school year is “doable,” he said in an interview with The Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports on Thursday morning.
The new projected cost is a sharp departure — but also likely a more realistic dollar amount — compared to the grand $62 million plan that BPS’ High School Solutions Committee presented at a meeting earlier this month to fix up the 95-year-old venue at Billings Senior, which for years has been plagued with deteriorating conditions and safety issues.
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Daylis is currently the home field of the football teams of Senior, Billings West and Billings Skyview, as well as the host of occasional track meets and formerly soccer matches. It additionally hosts the opening ceremonies of the Big Sky State Games and was the venue of the Montana East-West Shrine Game last month.
The field and east end bleachers at Daylis Stadium are photographed on July 9. Billings Public Schools superintendent Dr. Erwin Garcia noted to The Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports on Thursday that an estimated $7-10 million repair job to the 95-year-old venue is “doable” and would add various renovated features to the dilapidated facility.
Garcia said that the main difference between the $62 million project and the estimated $7-10 million one is that the focus will be on repairing the facility rather than a complete (and costly) overhaul. He noted that the “ballpark number” figure for the newest proposal would pay for the cost to replace the closed concrete west stand, improve locker rooms and restrooms, install a new track and add new fencing to the facility.
“The total remake is something that we can do, but the repair is something that we must do,” Garcia said. “We don’t have momentum as a district and voters clearly express their frustration with taxation, so there is no way we’re going to get passed a $60-70 million bond for Daylis, especially when we still have the safety needs of our campuses.”
Garcia’s comment about taxation is in reference to voters striking down a $143 million bond to invest in parks, trails and recreation across Billings last November and elementary and high school safety levies in May, which has given the BPS administration pause in trying to pass through a bond to give the $62 million proposal its most realistic chance of coming to fruition.
Instead, Garcia (after the district receives more certain numbers about repair costs in “a couple of weeks,” he said) wants to work with a professional group to fundraise locally if the project is pushed forward.
In an ideal situation, that would entail $2-3 million of private fundraising by December of this year, he said, followed by a board match of that figure that would need to be approved. If all goes well after that, the district would then apply for a low-interest INTERCAP loan through the state government, with the loan being paid using the revenue from events hosted at Daylis. Construction after those hurdles were hypothetically cleared would take place next spring and summer.
Some major features of the $62 million proposal would likely not make the cut in the $7-10 million proposal, such as a turf replacement and an expansion of the track from eight to 10 lanes. The repair project also likely wouldn’t be part of a multi-step process to completely transform Daylis, Garcia said.
Garcia noted that the district wants Daylis to be a safe environment first, and with the crumbling west stand unlikely to be open during football season, it’s become a major priority to get fixed.
“There’s no interruption to games, athletics, no interruptions. We can operate until we start demolishing,” Garcia said. “We think that the turf could last five or more years. Let’s say that we take this action and in five years, we need to do something with the turf, well, we’ll change the turf. The turf can cost us $700,000 and that’s it.
“We’re trying to make a change that can enhance the property and can allow us to look to operate for the next 25 years. I don’t foresee us having an entire renovation (and) flatten the place. At least under my leadership, I don’t see that that’s going to happen.”
Email Briar Napier at briar.napier@406mtsports.com or follow him on Twitter/X at @BriarNapier
