ALLENTOWN, Pa. – It’s a football field that you can park underneath.
On Friday, the field at Executive Education Academy Charter School in Allentown got its close-up.
There are 305 parking spaces directly under Lysek Field, which was built on top of a parking deck.
But that’s not the only thing that makes Lysek Field so special.
Born from the dirt and vines choking the open spaces next to Coca-Cola Park, Lysek Field has risen to become a 4,100-seat stadium on Allentown’s East End.
And for the players taking the field Friday night, the timing is perfect.
“Having it here now, it’s just going to be so surreal. Having our fans here, it’s going to be amazing,” said Isaiah Vargas, a Senior Defensive End for the Executive Raptors.
Bob Lysek, who grew up in the Lehigh Valley, has led the academy since its opening 13 years ago.
“My grandmother and grandfather on my father’s side are buried right there at the cemetery on Fullerton Avenue, looking down on us, which makes this just so much more special,” said Lysek.
The new field now bears his name.
“It was such an honor, and I was totally blindsided by [it],” said Lysek.
The complex is a $25 million project. Lysek says two-thirds of it was paid for by bonds by the Charter School Foundation.
One-third is taxpayer money. And it all sits on top of a 305-space parking deck.
“I happened to say, ‘Hey, why don’t we [build] it on the deck?’ [I] just blurted it out. The engineers said, ‘I don’t know if that’s possible.’ [They] looked at each other again and said, ‘I think we can do it,’“ Lysek explained.
The all-new turf field is super-spongy. It will host graduations, recess, and gym, but on Friday, the ‘Blue and Yellow’ take center stage.
“It kind of still doesn’t feel real. Playing this game, it’s probably not going to feel real,” said Daryn West, a junior safety for the Raptors.