There’s a construction zone behind White River High School – complete with materials and heavy equipment – and the area will continue to be a beehive of activity until the dawn of the fall sports season.

Under way is a project that will see the school’s prime athletic facility turned from a bare-bones affair to something equal to the Hornets’ rivals.

When the school was built, money didn’t allow for a modern high school facility. Bleachers were not covered, concessions were removed from the seating and restrooms of the “porta-potty” type.

Those primitive amenities will be a thing of the past when White River athletes begin fall competition. Thanks to a construction bond passed by district voters, the stadium will be more in keeping with the current world of prep athletics.

Crews have poured cement, build a wall and started installing upright supports. When they’re done, fans will be kept dry by covered grandstands with a capacity for more than 1,300 people. Below them will be a new concession stand and new restrooms, along with a storage area, a training room and a team room.

Some of the stadium upgrades will be noticeable before Hornet boosters – and visitors – reach their seats. A gravel parking lot will be paved and guests will pass through a new ticket gate.

The stadium project, including the parking lot, will take a bit more than $4 million to complete.

The first football game in the renovated facility will be played Sept. 15 against the Foster High Bulldogs. The Hornets’ season kicks off Sept. 1 with the annual Battle of the Bridge against neighboring Enumclaw, to be played at Sheets Field in downtown Buckley. The following week brings a Thursday night (Sept. 7) road game against Lindbergh High.