Windsor Stadium holds fond memories for Dallas Cowboys defenceman Tyrone Crawford, who is excited to see a recent grant breathe new life into the sports field.
Crawford grew up in Windsor playing at the stadium in high school and hopes the restoration of the stadium will allow young athletes to develop their love of football.
"I'm passionate about football, and my love grew through this stadium," he says. "I want to come back to be able to watch young athletes play their hearts out on this field, and just knowing that this is where I played."
It was announced on Friday that the AKO Fraternity's restoration project would be receiving two grants totaling $158,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Crawford says it's powerful to see the stadium come back to life.
"Most of the love for me is the experience -- those chills from walking down the street from Catholic Central and seeing the lights on, hearing the people, and knowing you're about to show up,” says Crawford. “That was one of the highlights for me in high school."
The restoration project is expected to be completed in two phases, and will cost around $10-million.
John Zucchet, board chair with the AKO Fraternity, says it's been a long haul, but they're proud of progress they have made on the stadium. He says he's fully confident the $10-million needed for the project.
“$10-million is no where near $80-million, and a far cry from $100-million, and this city has the history of spending that kind of money on some sports facilities. That’s not to denigrate anyone else’s facility... but this city is in dire need of fields and a stadium. We do not have one.”
Work will begin on stadium in the next two to three of weeks, according to Zucchet. The first part of the restoration project will focus on the grandstands, the washrooms and the concession stand.
