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LEBANON — James VanDeGrift Stadium, named for the retired football and track coach of the Lebanon High School Warriors, is being renamed.

Atrium Medical Center, the new hospital on Ohio 122 in Middletown, has donated $500,000 to a private campaign to raise money to pay for artificial turf and other improvements at the 35-year-old stadium. In exchange, the stadium will be called Atrium Field at VanDeGrift Stadium.

Atrium will pay $25,000 a year for 20 years, Lebanon Superintendent Mark North said. Atrium has similar agreements with Franklin, Springboro and Mason high schools to pay for improvements at their stadiums.

Medical office buildings also are to be built by Atrium on school property as part of the deals in Sringboro and Mason.

Middletown City Schools has yet to strike a deal with

Atrium, but Board of Education Vice President Katie McNeil

said there is "ongoing discussion and talks" with the hospital as district officials look at the master plan for secondary school buildings.

"Certainly we look to (Atrium) as a partner to help our community and help our kids," McNeil said.

The Onward Lebanon group met its goal of $765,000 in donations to pay for the installation of the field, said Spence Cropper, who heads the group along with VanDeGrift.

The additional donation from Atrium will be used to cover the maintenance costs of the field, and could pay for replacement of the artificial surface when needed, North said.

Cropper said improvements will be made to restrooms, concession stands, grandstands, locker rooms and the entrance to the stadium on Miller Road next to Lebanon Junior High School.

The field will be installed by the Motz Group, which laid synthetic fields at Monroe, Franklin, Mason, Kings and Goshen high schools.

North said preliminary ground work will begin this week, and the field will be ready for use by the fall sports teams.

The first high school home football game on the new field kicks off on Friday, Aug. 29.

Staff writer Meagan Engle contributed to this report.

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