COLUMBIANA — The long-awaited project to rebuild the bleachers at the Columbiana football stadium in Firestone Park has begun.

The demolition of the existing bleachers started earlier this week.

The project is spearheaded by the Columbiana Athletic Boosters and funded through donations. The work includes the removal of the existing aluminum bleachers, which will be replaced with new aluminum-style bleacher seats, as well as seats with backs.

The athletic boosters announced in a news release that the structural demolition work performed by Less Contractors would be complete within 10 days once begun.

The company used jackhammers on excavators to begin removing the exterior cement framework of the decades-old football stands Tuesday.

Work on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing will follow this week, which will precede the installation of the new bleachers. The release stated that phase of the renovation is expected to be completed in August.

The renovation work will be completed by Santini Builders.

The football stadium is considered one of the oldest landmarks in historic Firestone Park, which has also undergone significant improvements over the last few years as part of an effort spearheaded by the Columbiana Restoration and Beautification Committee.

The athletic boosters said that the stadium was included in the original plans for the park envisioned by benefactor Harvey S. Firestone, who was a Columbiana High School graduate.

The park was donated to the city in the mid-1930s and has served as the home field for the Columbiana Clippers since then.

The public park is only one of two in the state to feature a football field used by a school district.

Earlier this month City Manager Lance Willard told city council that he met with the stadium committee, including members Pat Tingle, Sean Zentner, Summer Stoy and Jim Santini, to discuss ways the city could help, either with the demolition or construction.

Athletic Boosters President Sean Zentner has briefed city officials on the project over the last several months, and most recently asked if the city could seek grant funding to help cover a portion of the cost of the overall multi-million-dollar project.

According to the most recent news release, to date, over a million dollars has been raised for the restoration of the stands.

That funding was jump-started by the largest matching grant from the Tingle Family Foundation to encourage the community and other interested parties to support the project, the release stated.

Replacing the stands is the first phase of the four-phase project at the football field.

Meanwhile, the release also stated that additional fundraising is needed for the planned phases that will complement the $10 million capital project undertaken by the R&B Committee to refurbish Firestone Park.