In early 2024, Jim Santini Builders took on a high-visibility renovation at Columbiana High School’s football stadium in Firestone Park, Columbiana, Ohio. The first phase focused on replacing the original 1930s bleachers with a modern, 980-seat layout—center chair-backs for reserved seating, aluminum bleachers on the sides—and upgrading the existing press box. With a firm deadline tied to the first football game of the season and a complex cast-in-place concrete scope, the team needed reliable, daily visual verification to keep sequencing tight and stakeholders aligned.
The project’s stakes extended beyond schedule. Community donors, including more than $1 million from the Tingle Family Foundation and approximately $300,000 raised by the Columbiana Athletic Boosters, funded much of the $1.4 million phase. Transparency mattered. The site was not easy to visit, weather could slow certain activities, and the concrete details required precise coordination. The team also prioritized sustainability, recycling all demoed materials from the original stands.
Evaluating options, Jim Santini Builders chose Buildcam for best value—not the lowest sticker price, but the right combination of reliability, service, and effortless access. “Looked at other companies, you were not the cheapest, but we liked Buildcam the best! Best value. Reasonably priced. Loved Luke Porter!” With a time lapse camera and online portal deployed, project leaders gained near real-time images throughout the day and a complete, chronological visual record.
From day one, the system became a daily habit. “From Day one we were really happy with the performance of the camera,” said Jim Santini. “There wasn’t a day that didn’t go by that I did not check the camera 3–5 times.... Pull my phone out, hit the app, bingo, I am looking at a photo from 10 minutes ago!” This cadence enabled faster decisions, fewer unplanned site trips, and clear subcontractor accountability. Stakeholders could view progress through a shareable portal, and the team captured compelling time-compressed sequences for marketing and community updates.
By August 2024, the 10-row concrete bleachers were complete, seating was installed, and the upgraded press box was in service—ready for opening night without slipping the date. The visual timeline provided proof of progress, aided coordination across trades, and set the foundation for future phases that may include additional stadium improvements as funding is secured.
The Columbiana stadium renovation modernizes a community landmark while preserving its history. With Buildcam’s time lapse visibility, Jim Santini Builders aligned donors, boosters, and school stakeholders around the project’s evolution—turning a complex, deadline-driven public build into a shared success story.
