YOUNGSTOWN — The surface of a newly renovated longtime football field is artificial, but what it represents for the betterment of the city is very real, a Youngstown City Schools official contends.

“We look at this opportunity as a phoenix,” symbolic of a renaissance in the district that continues to rise, Superintendent Justin M. Jennings said.

Jennings was referring to the new artificial field turf installment on Jack Antonucci Field at William Rayen Stadium, 1903 Cordova Ave., on the North Side, which was the site of a celebratory one-hour ribbon-cutting event and ceremony Monday evening.

The $1.8 million project that began in March is the latest enhancement to the stadium, built in 1924 and home to the East High School Golden Bears and Chaney High Cowboys football teams, Jennings said.

The improvement also will benefit other district high school sports via equipping the stadium to host rugby, lacrosse and soccer, the superintendent added.

More than merely being the site of area athletics, the revamped field also is another step in the overall progress the city schools continue to make as the district moves in the right direction and rises “out of the ADC ( Academic Distress Commission) ashes,” Jennings said. He added that the project’s engineering phase got underway more than a year ago.

The work also is the first part of a series of improvements and upgrades to facilities throughout the district. Others include a middle school football field at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, a track at Chaney High and a baseball field at East, Jennings continued.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown recalled his days as a student at The Rayen School, which included time spent on the original field, said to be among the oldest in the city. Those experiences created further character and self-discipline for Brown, he remembered.

Another valuable aspect of the improved field and stadium is that it will be a boon to future students, he said.

“This is about helping the next generation,” the mayor added.

The field also has as its centerpiece the Youngstown City Schools logo that incorporates the names of six current and former high schools underneath.

In addition, the 98-year-old stadium has been the home of various highlights over the years. In 1941, the first use of the penalty flag in football was introduced during a game between Youngstown College (now YSU) and Oklahoma City.

Monday’s ceremony also featured performances from the East and Chaney High cheerleading squads, as well as both football teams standing along the sideline to be recognized.