Pennsylvania high school plans to open 4,000-seat football stadium on top of a parking garage

Executive Education Academy Charter School (Allentown, Pa.) got approval for an athletic complex including a football stadium that would sit atop a 300-car parking structure. When it opens, it will be one of the more unique high school sports venues in the country.

The $25 million Executive Stadium recently broke ground and renderings call for a turf field, stands for 4,000 spectators, a press box, concessions ... and easy-access parking.

The proposed stadium would be adjacent to Coca-Cola Field, home of the minor league baseball club the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The lot is shared by both the school and team. The IronPigs hold easement rights for the lot.

"That's why we came up with the deck idea, because we don't want to take away parking spaces. We want the IronPigs to have the same amount of parking they have right now. That was very positive to be able to work with the IronPigs organization and Lehigh County to pull it off," Lysek told The Morning Call.

The parking structure is expected to be complete in spring, in time for the start of the Iron Pigs' season, with the stadium targeted for completion six months later. It would connect to the school. 

In their fifth season of varsity football, the Raptors are 5-3 this season.