New ROCORI Athletic Field to be Named Blattner Stadium

COLD SPRING – ROCORI’s new athletic field has been given a new name.

The ROCORI School Board is expected to approve naming the new artificial turf field Blattner Stadium during their Monday night meeting.

“Karen and David Blattner and Angel and Henry Blattner have accepted the opportunity to name the facility Blattner Stadium, home of Spartan Field and William J. Virant Memorial Pavilion,” writes the ROCORI Spartan Booster Club in a memo. “This will be an extraordinary facility for ROCORI student athletes, ROCORI’s entire K-12 student body and the local community.”

The Blattner family secured naming rights to the stadium with a $500,000 cash donation to the Booster Club during their multi-year fundraising effort. The Booster Club says signage will be installed early next year.

The Blattner family has had a foothold in the central Minnesota business community for over a century. D.H. Blattner & Co. Railway Contractors was founded in 1907. Today, Blattner Energy, headquartered in Avon, specializes in large-scale renewable energy projects.

In addition to football, Blattner Stadium will play host to boys’ and girls’ soccer and lacrosse, baseball, softball, dance, track and field and band practices. It will also be available for physical and community education classes.

“Everybody will be able to use it for something,” said ROCORI Athletic Director Joel Baumgarten. “We did some tours of schools that have turf, and they have their schedules packed from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with all kinds of activities.”

“Instead of a dozen events, we’re looking at hundreds throughout the year,” he said.

Construction on the field began in August and wrapped up this fall.