Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Quake-Damaged Stadium Approved for Reopening

SANTA CLARITA — College of the Canyons received verbal approval Friday afternoon to reopen its earthquake-damaged stadium next week, just in time for local high school football playoff games and a multi-state band competition.

The structure and running track sustained more than $600,000 in damage from the Northridge earthquake. Repairs were delayed several times by soil settling under the 7,500-seat stadium. Finally, last week, the last major repair was made when concrete was poured to replace a cracked stairwell.

A safety inspection by county and state officials was originally scheduled Monday to allow the concrete to completely dry, said college spokeswoman Sue Bozman. But the college convinced officials to make the tour Friday, giving local high schools a few extra days to plan events scheduled next week.

Organizers of Rampage, a band competition scheduled next Saturday for 26 high schools from three states, said they had been making plans to shift the event to a smaller stadium at Canyon High School in Canyon Country, which would have had insufficient parking for participants.

The stadium is also normally used by three local high schools for many of their home games, said Daniel Hanigan, interim superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District. He said about three-fourths of this year’s schedule has already been played, but he is glad the stadium will be available for the most important games--the playoffs.

“The larger stadium is often critical to having home games,” he said.