WINDERMERE, Fla. — The construction of the on-site stadium at Windermere High School is nearly complete, and school officials say they hope to have it open for homecoming on Sept. 27.

What You Need To Know

  • Windermere High School's new on-site stadium was original scheduled to open on Sept. 13

  • Following a series of delays, school officials say they hope to have it open by homecoming on Sept. 27

  • A parent of a senior at Windermere High School said the new stadium has been a long time coming and despite the delays, they’re excited about its future

  • OCPS officials say the delay was caused by the concession stand and announcers booth needing to be completed and inspected

Officials say the last few inspections are happening this week and were confident about the Sept. 27 opening.

Friday’s Windermere High School varsity football game will happen at West Orange High School. Last week, the team played at Ocoee High School.

The stadium was originally set to open on Sept. 13, but OCPS officials said there was a delay in the completion and inspection of the concession stand and announcers booth. Staff members, they said, are working diligently to get the approval.

In the meantime, Windermere High School students and parents are waiting before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.

“We’re ready. We’re ready,” said Kirstine Briggs, who serves as president for Windermere High School’s Athletics Boosters.

Briggs, a parent of a senior at Windermere High School, said the new stadium has been a long time coming — and despite the delays, they’re excited about its future.

“This is just a hurdle, a hiccup, and it’s to be expected," she said. "And I think we’re just way too thrilled to even look back. We’re ready to look forward."

The new multi-purpose field will be used for multiple sports including football, soccer and lacrosse.

“I think all of them that are going to play on this field this year, are making history,” Briggs said.

Since the high school opened in 2017, Windermere High School students have been practicing and playing football games at Deputy Scott Pine Community Park.

“The kids would come to the school, we would bus them down there,” Briggs said.

While OCPS says the team has not played at the park since last season, parents say the park had no place to shelter in case of weather emergencies and had insufficient parking, among other safety concerns.

“A lot of them didn’t want to take the bus, so they would come and the parents would drop them off, out on the road," Briggs said. "They would hop out, run across, so it was a huge safety issue."

That is what Briggs said drove their push to ask Orange County officials to build a new on-site stadium at Windermere High School.

On Thursday, Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson said she pursued approvals after she heard safety concerns on the under-equipped off-site location from parents and law enforcement.

The project received board approval for $6.8M and came in under budget at $4.6M. The stadium was paid for by capital funds collected as part of the sales tax.

Briggs said everyone is celebrating the new on-site stadium.

“Not us, but a whole community, a whole staff," she said. "Mr. (Andrew) Leftakis, we all made it happen."

Leftakis, the principal at Windermere High School, gave an update Wednesday for parents and students on the status of the on-campus stadium.

“I know we are eager to open this new era of Windermere athletics,” he said.

He said the overall construction is nearly complete and the last few inspections are already happening.

“I’m confident if we wait a little longer, we’ll be able to have full access to the facility,” he said.

Opening night for the new stadium is Sept. 27, which is also Windermere High School's homecoming game.