“We’re making good progress on the Lanni Family Stadium at Matandy SportsPlex project,” Brian Pendergest, president of Badin, said of the $15 million project.
“Just last week, the team from Conger Construction started pouring the footers for the locker room. By the time our students return in August, they should be able to see some buildings starting to take shape,” said Pendergest.
And the activity around the sports complex isn’t limited to Badin’s now dusty back campus area as school officials continue to fund raise for the project.
“We have raised $13 million of the $15 million in costs for the project and we are particularly appreciative of Frank and Joanne Pfirman. At the groundbreaking, Frank indicated that his family would pay to have the bleachers on the visitor’s side of the stadium purchased and installed, rather than having that as part of Phase II of the project.”
Ground was broken for the new stadium in March.
Prior to that, Pendergest said the Pfirmans indicated that they would match any upcoming donations up to $2 million, “underlining yet again their outstanding generosity to Badin High School.”
“We are really working hard to get the donations in hand in a timely fashion so that we don’t have to have a Phase II of the project. We’d like to get the entire project built at once.”
Dirk Allen, spokesman for Badin, said football practices for the summer are being moved from the campus at 571 New London Road in west Hamilton, to the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill in the city and to Hamilton’s Joyce Park.
The co-ed school, which will see a record enrollment of 735 students when classes open in August, plans to have the sports stadium’s track rolled out and ready by next year, with other features later in 2025.
Pendergest said: “We are still on target for soccer and football to be played at home during the 2025 fall season, and potentially some track competition at the new stadium in the spring of 2025.”
“We’ve never had a true home field in the 58 years of Badin High School. With the Lanni Family Stadium at Matandy SportsPlex, that will change soon.”
To make donations to the stadium project, those interested may contact Brian Pendergest or Chuck McKinney at Badin High School - Bpendergest@BadinHS.org or Cmckinney@BadinHS.org - or by calling 513-863-3993 during business hours M-F, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until June 14, then 8 a.m. to noon starting June 17 or online at Badin’s website.
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