Washington school district announces plans for $10 million activities facility

The Washington Community School District shared updated plans for its ambitious facility project that it hopes will enhance the school’s athletics and the city’s community footprint.

In a Facebook post last Friday, WCSD Superintendent Willie Stone announced details for a 103,000 square foot domed athletics facility. The structure will occupy a lot south of the Washington High School softball field, which is currently used as a soccer practice field.

“Really excited about what it offers for our kids, and not only offers for our kids, but also (what it) offers for our community,” Stone said in the announcement video. “Our community will see a lot of tourism because of this. We’ll be able to reach more people and hopefully be able to bring more money into our community.”

The dome will cost an estimated $10 million and be financed entirely by donated funds. The project was kick started in July 2024 when an anonymous donor pledged $4 million, intending for the funds to go to a top tier facility for Washington student athletes to use. The Washington Athletic Booster Club also secured a $3.5 million grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation in May 2025.

The booster club still needs to raise roughly $2 million before construction on the project can begin. It plans to generate those funds through an endowment and additional community fundraising.

“One of the questions is, how do you maintain a facility and continue to pay for utilities and things?” Washington Activities Director Nathan Miller told The Union. “So, the solution is an endowment, along with all of the rental fees that we'll be bringing in from the different events that we’ll host. All in all, we're really excited about the project.”

Once the remaining funds are secured, Miller said the goal is for construction to begin in 2027 and take 12 months to complete. Washington’s first field house concept that Miller pitched to the WCRF in April 2025 — a 44,000 square foot structure that could house 60 yards of turf, eight 45-meter sprinting lanes and a 3,200 square foot weight room — had a build time of 18 to 24 months.

Inspiration for Washington’s latest dome design came from Miller’s alma mater, Wayne State College in Nebraska. The school opened its own 103,000 square foot facility, the Wildcat Dome, in January 2025.

The Wildcat Dome is an air-supported structure with 73-foot peak at the top. Wayne State hosted its first indoor track meet since 2021 less than two months after the Wildcat Dome opened. The Wildcats softball team began the 2026 season with a triangular at the dome.

“Every weekend that they're not using it, they have youth tournaments going on in theirs,” Miller said. “So that's the same mindset that we would have with it as well, is that we would want to have something in that facility every weekend.”

Miller estimated around 95% of the features in Wayne State’s facility will be replicated in Washington’s. One of the key inclusions is a 300-meter indoor track, which is the same size as the indoor track at Iowa State and 100 meters larger than the University of Iowa’s indoor track. The dome will also have designated areas for long jump, high jump and shot put, which will enable Washington to host full indoor track meets. The Demons track teams currently practice outdoors at Case Field.

The Washington dome will also have 90 yards of turf that can be used for football, soccer and marching band practices. The 103,000 square feet of space gives the venue the capability to host youth baseball and softball tournaments.

The Dome will also have four batting cages for the Washington baseball and softball teams to take batting practice. Two golf simulators will sit in the Northwest corner of the facility. An entryway will be connected to the dome that will house restrooms, concession stands and a general seating area.

The final product, Miller hopes, will create a state-of-the-art space that will benefit Washington student activities, generate significant revenue for the city and attract families who might be interested in moving to Washington after they visit for events held at the dome.

“Between the (Washington) Wellness Park and then this facility being built, Washington would have the ability to host year-round events,” Miller said. “I'm not sure there's a lot of communities our size that do not have a college in it that would have the ability to do that.”

The project will also enhance the current spaces for Washington athletics. After the dome is completed, the Demons weight room at Case Field will be moved to the baseball and softball teams’ current hitting facility. The Case Field weight room will then be turned into multipurpose room that will be used by the football and track teams before games and meets. In the winter months, the space will be converted into a wrestling room for the Demon girls wrestling team.

“We're looking at the long term setup and how it creates the best flow and support for all of our activities,” Miller said. “And we feel like is a good plan that answers those concerns.”

Miller plans to contact colleges and reach out to other high school activities directors to use the facility after its completion. Before rental deals can be struck and dates booked, the booster club is working toward fundraising the final $2 million needed for the project and selecting an architect firm to move one step closer to getting shovels in the ground.