DeKalb school board green lights Dunwoody stadium expansion

The DeKalb County School Board at its Nov. 9 meeting gave the final set of approvals that will allow construction at Seacrest Stadium in Dunwoody to move forward.

The group behind the fundraising effort say the new facility will be transformative for the school and the community.

The two agreements, establishing the terms for the contractor, BlueGold Construction Management LLC/Fortune-Johnson LLC, and a sponsorship development agreement between the school board and the Dunwoody High School Community Association, were passed at the meeting.

The project, slated to cost about $2.7 million, will be funded through the “Bring it Home” campaign that raised $1.5 million, and a substantial donation from the Seacrest family, believed to be more than $1 million.

Ryan Seacrest, the host of American Idol, a morning radio show, and Wheel of Fortune, graduated from Dunwoody High School in 1993.

The improvements

The improvements will include additional seating to bring the stadium’s capacity to 3,000, a press box, restrooms, a press box, ticket booth, concession building, landscaping, fencing and lighting.

It is expected to be completed in time for the 2027 football season, allowing the Wildcats to host their first home game in school history, as well as other sporting and community events.

More than a building

“Bring it Home” organizers said the project is more than just expanding the facility.

Former DHS teacher Steve Fortenberry said the idea for a fully functioning home stadium had been discussed for more than 20 years.

“We just kept saying ‘We gotta do this,’ and a lot of people said it would never get done, but here we are,” Fortenberry said. “This is going to be such a great boost for the community and all of DeKalb County.”

Bryan Jordin, who joined the “Bring it Home” committee a little more than a year ago, said the DeKalb School Board’s approval on Nov. 9 “was the first finishing line that needed to be crossed.”

“Dr. [Norman] Sauce and [Chief of Capital Improvements] Darrell Stallings were both open to making this happen,” Jordin said. “It would have been easy for them to put this as a last priority, but they didn’t.”

Fortenberry said everyone at the school, including its football coach, Matthew Schmitz, is excited about the value that the stadium will bring to the school.

“I was talking to the coach and he is pumped about the whole thing,” Fortenberry said. “This is going to be a big selling point as middle school students consider going to Dunwoody.”

Both Fortenberry and Jordin say that they hope this private-public partnership with the school system can serve as a model for future projects, whether it is sports stadiums or arts centers. And they are equally excited for the moment that the DHS Wildcats take the field for their first true home game.

“They have never had the experiences of making traditions, like running out of their own tunnel so it’s going to be awesome,” Jordin said. “It’s going to be a true community meeting space where people can come together.”

Groundbreaking ceremonies will be announced in the next couple of weeks.

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