DES MOINES, Iowa — The newly-built Mediacom Stadium has been a success for Drake University and Des Moines Public Schools' sports teams, but those who have to live next to the venue are voicing some complaints.
In the weeks since it officially opened earlier this month, several games have been played on the brand-new turf. The $24 million stadium can seat 4,000 people and serves as the home field for four DMPS football programs: Roosevelt, Hoover, Lincoln and North high schools.
Residents opened up to Local 5 about their concerns with the newly-built stadium.
"People are saying they can't get into their driveways and, and the noise is keeping them up at night, the lights are too bright. I mean, that's a whole quality of life issue," Des Moines resident Dan Pardock said.
A lack of parking has also caused some to park illegally in the nearby neighborhoods.
"People parking in front of the driveways, people parking in their driveways, people having trouble getting out of their driveways and onto the street because the street parking is so filled up ... it's just a tremendous mess," Pardock said.
As for the noise, Drake is working to address any issues raised by neighbors.
"When we had the first few games in the stadium, we did hear from neighbors that they appreciated the sound volume when it came to the announcers, and what the stadium represents," Drake's director of community engagement Ryan Arnold said. "But they did say that the music was a little too loud.”
Arnold has acknowledged their concerns, and worked with the stadium operations team to have the music volume lowered during future games.
He also highlighted key features of the stadium to minimize noise pollution.
“The sound system was specifically designed to have directional sound going from the north to the south," Arnold said, explaining that the system directs noise towards campus.
One other emerging concern impacting DMPS students is the transportation to and from the stadium.
Des Moines resident Kirk Twelmeyer has heard concerns from students in the district.
"The attendance at those games wasn't very good, because people don't want to ride the city bus," Twelmeyer said. "Having to ride a bus like that into the Drake area isn't the safest thing for teenage kids to be doing on their own."
The commute from some schools in the district to the stadium, like Hoover High School, is upwards of 40 minutes. Some parents have cited safety concerns with students coming home from the games late at night.
DMPS told Local 5 they are working to set up activity buses at all schools, so that students have reliable and safe transportation to and from sporting events.
At this time, however, it’s still a work in progress.
Arnold encourages anyone with concerns about the stadium to reach out to the Drake Neighborhood Relations Department directly.