Sportsplex problems prove costly

Florence - Construction on Florence's new sportsplex has run into a hard problem - one that is hard as a rock, in fact.

On Tuesday, city council members will have to decide whether to spend another estimated $1.1 million to remove the peaking rocks and boulders on the sportsplex land, which is just off Savannah Highway in west Florence.

Mayor Bobby Irons said the finance committee will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday to determine what recommendation, if any, it will make to the council about the additional cost.

"The rock is excessive - it's a high-cost item," Irons said.

Irons said he was not willing to disclose a dollar amount until after the matter was reviewed, all options discussed and the council made a decision on the exact amount that will be needed to alleviate the problem.

Councilman Scott Carrier said he has real concerns and questions about the project.

"Where's this money coming from?" Carrier said. "That's not a rosy scenario."

If $1.1 million is the amount needed, the money would come from the city's capital fund, said Dan Barger, city treasurer.

Councilman Leland Howard, head of the finance committee, said the issue hasn't been discussed yet, but the city isn't blowing money.

"This city is in fine financial shape," Howard said.

Phil Stevenson, city purchasing agent and sportsplex project manager, said the $1.1 million total represents the "worst-case scenario."

Land preparation for the sports complex had a budget of $5.5 million, Stevenson said, to which the $1.1 million would be added, if approved.

The complex will house a variety of athletic fields for baseball, softball and soccer. City officials hope the facility will entice major tournaments to the area, which would boost tourism dollars.

Russ Lambert, project manager for B.H. Craig, said the contract amount allotted for the sportsplex "from the ground up" for the first phase of the project is $9.5 million.

The first phase of the project, according to the plans approved March 1, includes a main entrance with gatehouse, numerous athletic fields, two parking lots and a maintenance facility. There also will be a press box and concession areas.

Irons said the removal of the rocks would be an additional cost not included in the budget.

To explore options for cutting costs, Stevenson said the architect made a list of items that could be deleted from the project. He said the biggest items on that list would be to eliminate paving of the road, parking lots and sidewalks.

"The quality would be impacted severely," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said any cuts would result in the sportsplex falling short of the vision city leaders have sought.

Tina Kitchens, parks and recreation director, doesn't expect cuts, though. "I don't anticipate any changes to the plan," she said.

Stevenson said finding rock peaks during the land preparation phase of the project was just bad luck.

"We thought we had covered our bases, but it turns out there (are) rock peaks," Stevenson said.

The original site for the new sportsplex was the land purchased seven years ago for Frost Commerce Park, an area deemed unsuitable for industrial development because of runoff into Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge. The land was later swapped for a nearby parcel and the sportsplex had a new home.

During the design phase at the current site, probes were sent into the ground based on the grid laid out for the complex, Stevenson said.

"Going into the project, our major concern as far as bedrock is that we might find a sinkhole," he said.

That issue never materialized, but others, in addition to the rock problem, have led to unexpected expenses. Most recently, $200,000 was required for an off-site well, pumps and piping after a water source couldn't be located at the complex site.

Stevenson said that when city officials evaluated the property to determine whether it was suited for athletic fields, given its closeness to the Tennessee River and Cypress Creek, "you gotta feel pretty good that the groundwater is sufficient."

Striking water that recharged at the proper rate wasn't found until the sixth attempt at a site near the city's water treatment plant, which is more than a mile from the sports complex.

City officials expect the sportsplex to be completed in time for competitions to be held on the fields in the spring.