Resurfacing of the track and field turf at Ken Zimmerman Field for West Aurora's stadium renovation project is complete as the varsity boys soccer team practiced for Thursday's home opener on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News )

The pieces are in place — at least most of them — for stadium renovation projects at both West Aurora and Batavia that will be completed this fall.

The new digs are looking good as football and boys soccer seasons are set to begin for both schools, with a short delay for home games at Batavia.

“We’re good to go with the exception of some finishing touches,” West Aurora athletic director Jason Buckley said.

The Blackhawks open their football season at 7 p.m. Friday against Plainfield South at home before going on the road for two weeks. West Aurora’s boys soccer team played its home opener Thursday.

That became a reality because replacement of the field turf originally installed in 2011 at Ken Zimmerman Field has been completed.

West Aurora's resurfaced track, with painted relay exchange zones, is ready to go on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News )

So has the resurfacing — in blue — of the track circling the field, which also features unique red relay exchange zones.

They were two key elements of a project that began in December 2019 when an anonymous donor pledged to match a fundraising effort by the West Aurora Sports Boosters, dollar for dollar, up to $250,000.

Not yet finished, however, is a grand entrance planned for the north end of the stadium on Plum Street and a new concession stand in the northwest corner of the facility.

ATMI Precast of Aurora put the stand’s prefabricated concrete walls up last weekend, but doors, windows and much of the interior work needs to be completed.

ATMI Precast employee Isidro Saldado of Alsip applies caulk to the new concession stand, part of the stadium renovation project at West Aurora's Ken Zimmerman Field, on Wendesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News )

In the meantime, Rhonda Mont and her helpers are setting up shop for a temporary concession stand in one of the renovated weight room additions under the permanent bleachers on the west side.

Mont, the West Aurora Sports Boosters president, was singing the praises this week of ATMI’s Jim Armbruster for getting so much work done.

A seven-week strike by quarry workers this summer led to supply chain issues, putting such projects in jeopardy.

“I wanted the concession stand to have a cornerstone that says ATMI Precast on it for all the pro bono work he’s done,” Mont said of Armbruster. “The fact he still got it done is amazing to me, but Jim wants no recognition.”

It does have a large WA logo on the outside wall.

The precast concrete walls are up for the new concession stand at West Aurora, awaiting the finishing touches for that part of the renovation project on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News )

Armbruster, a 1965 West Aurora graduate, serves his alma mater well. He’s not alone.

One week after the project kicked off, the pandemic hit, setting things back. But work on Field of Dreams projects continued. Commemorative bricks for that entrance can still be purchased.

West Aurora’s stadium and concrete stands, built in 1958, have had multiple upgrades.

Original wood seats were covered in plastic and now replaced by aluminum benches for this project, which includes remodeling of the restrooms, additional weight rooms and storage.

Ironically, 1958 is the year veteran West Aurora broadcaster Neal Ormond graduated, starting decades of service to his school and community. He’s no mere sports talker, however.

His work includes serving 22 years on the school board, assisting as a coach with girls tennis, basketball and softball, as well as many other projects too numerous to mention.

That’s why in 2020, the school board voted to name the facility Ormond Stadium, honoring the Ormond family, including his wife, Mary Clark, and parents Neal and Margery Roy.

The stadium will be officially dedicated at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, before the football team’s game against Joliet West.

New bleachers and press box, part of a remodeling project at Batavia's Bulldog Stadium, are nearing completion on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News )

Batavia’s project includes installing new home bleachers and a press box and replacing the stadium lights and poles.

“The telephone poles with the old halogen bulbs that took 10 minutes to come on leaned and there were some dead spots in the corner of the field,” Batavia athletic director Dave Andrews said. “You might lose track of a receiver.”

The new metal poles are topped by LED lights. The new bleachers, nearly completed, expand seating from between 1,200 and 1,300 to 1,500.

“And they’re ADA compliant,” Andrews said of the American Disabilities Act. “That’s the big thing, so there’s plenty of access for everybody.”

Batavia’s football team will play at home for the first time this season in Week 4, and several home games in boys soccer have been changed to away.

“We always feel we show really, really well on Friday nights,” Buckley said of West Aurora’s game-day presentation. “It’s going to show unbelievably well now.”