MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (CBS 2/FOX 28) — Thanks to a donation of nearly $1 million, Cornell College will be making several major renovations to the stadium that fields several of the school's athletic teams.
In a news release on Monday, the college detailed a litany of upgrades coming to Ash Park Stadium, which has been on Cornell's campus since 1922.
"It's gonna be an unbelievable upgrade for our fans," athletic director Keith Hackett said on Monday. "The fan experience is gonna be enhanced in a significant way. I think our student-athletes that play lacrosse and football and run track and field here - along with Mount Vernon High School - are gonna have an unbelievable experience."
The donation comes from Mount Vernon native Dave Van Metre, whose family has deep roots at Cornell.
"This is gonna be a neat place to watch a game," he told CBS 2/FOX 28 in a phone interview from his home in Colorado on Monday. "I'm happy to be a part of it - and know my extended family is as well."
Construction is set to begin once the project is approved by the Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission. The upgrades are projected to be completed by Spring 2018.