KEARNEY, Neb. — After 60 years, Miles Field is getting a makeover.

The facility, which opened shortly after Kearney Catholic was created, has seen minor improvements over the decades, but the grass field and dirt track — and their problems — remain.

The push for a renovation started with a smaller request from the track coach over the summer. Sara Homan with the Kearney Catholic Foundation quickly realized there was support for something bigger.

“From the get go, supporters demonstrated in a big way that they were in for the whole project," Homan said. "Within the first couple months, we had $2 million pledged and that set the ball in motion.”

Now there’s about $3.4 million pledged. The whole project will cost $6.5 million. Principal Matt Rogers says the plan for a new facility has been developed with students in mind.

“They heard about it," Rogers said. "I think that they were cautiously optimistic that it was going to happen. They can’t wait.”

Right now, the Kearney Catholic football team doesn’t practice at Miles Field, the soccer teams can’t play games at the facility and the band isn’t as prepared for contests because there aren’t permanent lines on the field.

The renovation will put in a modern, eight-lane track. That will push the new turf football field more than 25 yards to the north. The trees on the north side will be removed. The project will also include a new press box. The seating will be completely redone and will be ADA accessible, allowing more fans to safely attend games.

“We’re really excited about providing an environment for our fans, spectators and visitors that will be a safer, more enjoyable opportunity for all of them to spend time in this space,” Homan said.

The school hopes to start demolition in the coming days. If plans stay on schedule, the new Miles Field could be ready for the start of the next football season.

“It is truly a community effort and it will be a wonderful place for the community to celebrate Kearney Catholic,” Homan said.