What’s happening?
During the Trophy Club Town Council April 28 meeting, an amendment to planned development district No. 28—the high school—was approved for building additions. The work will include the construction of the new 7,500-seat football stadium that will be ready for the 2027-28 school year.
Northwest ISD and RLK Engineering, from Allen, presented multiple expansion projects for the high school:
- Football stadium
- Basketball arena expansion
- Performing arts center
- Updated lighting at the baseball and softball field
- Ag shop expansion
- Cafeteria expansion
The details
Dan Holt, an architect with Glenn Partners, reviewed various parts of the project during his presentation to the council.
The big-ticket item will be the football stadium, which was part of a $1.9 billion bond passed in 2023. The stadium portion of the bond will have new football stadiums at V.R. Eaton in Haslet and Byron Nelson in Trophy Club, and the new high school near SH 170 in Fort Worth that will open in 2026.
The bond also allows for renovations at NISD Stadium in Justin. All of the football stadiums will have a similar LED scoreboard, which Holt calls a district standard.
The stadium will feature 4,5000 seats on the home side and 3,000 seats on the visitors side. There will also be a weight room, concession stands, a security office, and additional storage for the track and field program, Holt said.
The construction of the football stadium is happening where the current practice field is at, which will create a new practice field next to the proposed stadium. That will also mean moving locations for track and field events, and modifying parking, according to the presentation.
Holt said two things make this football stadium unique compared to others. One is the entry portal from the school to the stadium. The other is the fire lane will be underneath some of the stadium in case emergency personnel need to enter, he said.
Finally, in an ode to the golf-centric community, the design for the Byron Nelson football stadium will have 100 parking spots for golf carts, Holt said.
A closer look
Council members Dennis Sheridan and Steve Flynn inquired about parking and traffic control around the stadium when it comes to crossing Bobcat Boulevard.
Chief of Police Patrick Arata said the school district is responsible for safety on the campus, but once they cross the street, it’s the town’s responsibility to take care of people once they cross onto Bobcat Boulevard.
Compared to currently having games in Justin, football games in Trophy Club will result in additional law enforcement support. Arata estimated it could be $2,500-$3,000 more per game day as officers would have to be in place about 1 1/2 hours before the game time and work between 45 minutes to an hour after a three-hour game.
“That’s just on us, that’s not including the officers the school district would bring in,” he said.
He said the preliminary review would resemble how the town handles school crossings along Bobcat Boulevard before and after school.
What else?
Holt said there will be a balcony added to the performing arts center to allow for seating on a second level. For the basketball arena, more seating will be added, and the entryway for the basketball gym will be revamped.
