Plans for the Wildcat Park Project at Mayfield High School were approved on Monday by Mayfield Village officials.

The project involves renovation of the football stadium and athletic area behind the school, as well as a pedestrian plaza. The first phase, expected to cost $3.5 million, is scheduled to be done before football season next fall.

The Mayfield Village Planning & Zoning Commission voted Monday to recommend Village Council approval, which was then granted at a special meeting later in the evening.

Architect Jeff Henderson of ThenDesign Architecture said the first phase will involve replacement of bleachers on the home side of the stadium. Seating will remain at 2,500, but a middle section will feature 500 seats rather than bleachers.

"They'll be leasing those seats in the middle," he said.

A new artifical turf surface will replace the grass field. That cost will be paid through fundraising by the Wildcat Community Foundation. "There are certain things that the levy won't pay for, the turf is part of that," Councilman Nicholas Delguyd said.

There also will be new buildings for a ticket booth, restrooms and concession stand on that side of the stadium. Henderson said a baseball field will remain the same, but a softball field will be moved to where there is a practice field now.

Henderson said phase two would include additional parking between the school and the athletic area and work on the vistitor's side of the stadium. The bleachers are in poor condition and boards are regularly replaced, he said.

"The first priority in terms of stage two is to upgrade those stands," he said.