EAST PROVIDENCE — A sink hole around the light post in the northwest corner of the East Providence High School athletics stadium formed initially due to heavy rains a couple of weeks ago and potentially exacerbated by the drenching the city took earlier this week has forced the Townies’ 2022 season-opening football game scheduled there Friday night, Sept. 9, to be moved to the former home of the locals at Pierce Memorial Stadium.

East Providence will still play host to Pilgrim of Warwick in the non-league beginner for both sides, but at Pierce. Kickoff also remains the same time, 6 p.m.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” according to School Committee chairman and the new EPHS Building Committee co-chair Joel Monteiro, the high school and district administrations decided to switch the game to Pierce.

A drainage pipe, which catches the run-off from about half of the grounds, succumbed to the significant and rapid amount of rain the grounds took on during the first storm a few weeks back, creating the crevice around the base between the stands and walkway behind the school.

Fencing was put up to surround the location while the light post and fixture were taken down at the same time that the sink hole, approximately 4-feet wide by 4-feet deep, formed at the foundation. There was deemed to be no structural damage to the cement casting itself or the adjacent bleachers. And no other sink hole formed on or near the running track or artificial turf field.

In fact, all three of the construction principles involved in the project — contractor Gilbane, engineer Pare and architects Ai3 — each said the integrity of the light post base remained and the stadium was still operational.

That’s fair for most sports, but with the potential of a couple of thousand spectators gathering for the first football game of the 2022 term the decision was made to move it.

However, again, to make sure the situation was addressed appropriately, Monteiro said elected and appointed officials agreed to hire a third-party engineering firm to review the situation.

Monteiro said the district wanted an “independent” advisor to access whether or not the “design of the drainage system was adequate,” if it was “installed properly” or if it “should be replaced.”

With all that taken under consideration, the process of review and repair, Monteiro said, is likely to take between two and four weeks.

The status of soccer and football games slated for the stadium will be determined on a day-by-day basis.