East Orange High School, NJ

East Orange boasts a proud athletic tradition, but for years, the Jaguars have had to deal with aging, even condemned facilities at their Paul Robeson Stadium. As the district saw frequent administrative turnover, rehabbing the aging facility slipped through the cracks. It also led to a lack of consensus on what actually needed to be done with the stadium to make it suitable to host games and track and field meets again.

Seeking clarity and a streamlined procurement and construction process, the district turned to ATT Sports, Shaw Sports Turf and Athletic Fields of America to revamp the historic stadium in the summer of 2024. Trusting the decades of experience planning and building athletic facilities throughout the North East, a plan for new turf and a renovated track came together with a balance of responsible spending and providing a site that will be among the best in the region for many years to come.

On the track, ATT Sports partnered with Halecon to mill and pave the aging asphalt and reconfigure the D zones. The plan saw the pole vault moved outside the oval while two long/triple jump pits were added. Previously, East Orange did not have a suitable runway or pit for long/triple jump, despite having elite jumpers on the track teams. The track was also painted to allow events of all age groups to practice and compete. The school opted for the tried and tested Rekortan M “sandwich system” running track, which will provide an excellent balance of longevity, comfort, speed and traction for the next decade and beyond.

The new Shaw Sports Turf was installed, along with regrading of the sub base and drainage improvements. The result is a show piece for the city of East Orange. Paul Robeson Stadium once again shines as a beacon for the Jaguars and is once again a crown jewel among the historic stadiums in Northern New Jersey.

ATT Sports cannot express enough gratitude to the East Orange Board of Education and district employees who oversaw the construction process.