$1 million track at Memorial Stadium reopens, but Selma mayor says another $3 million is needed to repair the stadium

Selma officials reopened the $1 million renovated Ralph “Shug” Jordan Track at Memorial Stadium in a ceremony on Wednesday.

But while celebrating, Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. said another $3 million is needed to finish repairs to the stadium surrounding it.

“We can’t have a $1 million track surrounded by $3 million problem,” Perkins said, pointing out leaks in the concession stands and offices and other problems that need repair.

“It’s important that we discontinue the patching and putting bandages on cancer,” Perkins said, urging state and city officials to pitch in and help cover the repair costs.

Officials included State Sen. Robert Stewart, Selma School Superintendent Dr. David Scott and Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn.

 “We all have to share in this responsibility,” Perkins said of the repairs. “I’m not going to leave it on the school system, the Dallas County government, the state or the city council.”

The track and stadium have been in disrepair for years, and they were further damaged in Hurricane Zeta in 2020 and then again in the January 2023 tornado that hit Selma.

The repair process took so long that Selma City Schools in 2023 asked the city to sign over the stadium to the district, which would have allowed them to complete the repairs so the Saints could play football games there.

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The city kept the property, and Perkins thanked the crowd at the ribbon cutting for being patient as they sought funding to get the work completed.

The track was completed with $750,000 in funds awarded to the city from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which Sen. Stewart helped secure.

Scott said the improved track is “an investment in our students, our athletes and our community.” He added that this track is not just a place to run, but it’s also “a symbol of progress, opportunity and pride. It represents the belief that every student deserves access to a high-quality community”.

Stewart agreed. “This project is more than about just sports, it’s about quality of life,” Stewart said. “It’s about our children; it’s about our community”.

Other speakers included Gerald Barron, Selma Park and Recreation Department director; Marcus Turner, assistant principal and athletic director at Kieth High School.

During the ceremony, Perkins and other former Selma High School track and field team members presented a plaque to their former Track Coach, Houston Young.

As the ceremony ended, teams from many schools were disembarking their busses getting ready for the first track meet held on the new track later that afternoon.