NEW BERLIN – The New Berlin Village Board unanimously agreed to sell 10 acres of Fish Field to Milford Academy last week. The sports-oriented preparatory school intends to build a football stadium on the site.

“We just want to have a better place to play. We’ve grown every single year we’ve been here in New Berlin,” said Milford Academy Director Bill Chaplick.

Chaplick said that when he first relocated the academy from Connecticut to New Berlin in 2002, he was allowed to lease the village recreational property with the understanding that one day the village would allow Milford to purchase the land.

“We are a part of the community. We like being here and proudly carry the New Berlin, New York name with us when we go abroad,” he said.

Chaplick said he intended to build a new “high school-like” stadium at the site, capable of supporting over 2,000 spectators as Milford hosts games against visiting college teams.

Milford Academy is rated second in the nation by a number of renowned sports institutions for its football program.

Five former Milford students were drafted into the NFL this past year. Chaplick said 98 percent of his graduates seek higher education. Over 150 colleges visit the school annually and the student body is drawn from over 18 different states, he said.

Village of New Berlin Mayor Carol Riley summoned local business leaders and citizens to last week’s meeting to hear their thoughts on the issue.