CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Could a multipurpose stadium be in Chesapeake’s future? 

City leaders and the Chesapeake Public Schools district are exploring the idea. 

The stadium would host school athletic events as well as open the door for sports tourism in the city. 

A multipurpose stadium is just in the initial stages at this point, but on Tuesday at their work session city leaders discussed moving forward with a request for proposals. 

They say it’s a win-win, benefiting students and bringing more people to Chesapeake.  

“Chesapeake right now does not have any facilities that can hold larger events,” said Mike Barber, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for the City of Chesapeake. 

The idea came after school officials determined stadiums at Deep Creek and Great Bridge high schools needed costly repairs.  

“Some of the under the stadium seating was condemned. There was mold in there,” he said. “The concessions are outdated, restrooms are outdated, not a lot of ADA accessible facilities there.” 

School and city leaders formed a stadium committee and if it becomes a reality, the stadium could hold 12,000 people and host sporting events like football, soccer, and track and field. It could also host concerts, festivals, and band competitions.  

“We’d have a comparable facility that would do not only some of the things that we need in Chesapeake but would put us in the opportunity to acquire some larger events for our tourism industry,” Barber said.

Ideally, the stadium would sit on 25-40 acres of land to allow for future expansion like an aquatics facility. An estimated price tag for the project runs around $25 million.   

“Putting that with dollars and land and everything else is a whole different conversation which is why we want to get the public’s input,” Barber said. “By having the public support and the public comment, that will allow us to get into the community and really have those discussions.” 

Once proposals come back, city council will discuss costs and then officially vote on moving forward. 

If the stadium committee’s vision comes to life and it’s successful, this would be the first of three to four such stadiums throughout the city.