Stadium Construction Budget Approved
Last updated Wednesday, January 31, 2007 5:58 PM CST in News
By Steve Caraway
The Morning News
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SPRINGDALE -- The new Springdale stadium will carry a strong bench when construction starts, with a reserve of $2.8 million.
The City Council, in a special meeting Wednesday, approved a construction budget for the baseball stadium that leaves $2.8 million in reserve. The budget calls for construction expenses of $48.09 million and available funds of $50.935 million.
The city expected to have slightly less than $50 million available for construction, said Mayor Jerre Van Hoose. The extra funds came from two sources.
The bonds sold to raise money for the project received premium prices and the city deposited the bond money and drew better-than-expected rates on certificates of deposit. Allowing for the time when the funds will be needed, projections call for the bond money to draw $1.5 million in interest, Van Hoose said.
"We had not calculated any interest on the bond money when we set the total amount we would need," Van Hoose said.
A 1 percent sales tax approved by voters backed the bonds. The Wichita Wranglers signed a lease to move into the stadium in 2008. The lease calls for the stadium to be completed before the start of the 2008 season.
The estimate for dirt work and site preparation totals $2 million, with the construction of the stadium, parking lot and drives estimated at $31 million. The architects designing the stadium, HOK Sport, delivered a design to the council but an estimate for the cost of the design has not been completed.
"That is the job of the architect," Van Hoose said. "Designing a stadium that can be built for the money you have."
The budget calls for spending $5.58 million in street improvements around the stadium site and $820,000 for water and sewer improvements to the area. The money for water and sewer improvements extend services for the stadium only and does not provide service for surrounding developments.
The Springdale Water and Sewer Commission asked for the funds to become part of a larger upgrade in the area. The Commission plans to build a system that could be upgraded to provide service to the drainage areas around the stadium. The estimated cost of the expanded facility totals $2.59 million. The Commission would pay the cost of the project above the money from the city.
"The stadium isn't built yet and it's sparked a major water and sewer project in the area," Van Hoose said. "The project will make a big difference in developing the area."
The council approved the budget unanimously, with Alderman Bobby Stout missing the early morning session.
"The budget calls for spending a million less than we thought it would cost originally," said Jeff Watson, alderman.
The council also approved an ordinance allowing permits for construction to extend around the clock Monday through Saturday, and for shorter hours on Sunday. Construction would ordinarily be limited by the city noise ordinance, which prohibits loud noises after 6 p.m. and on Sundays. Only the council can approve extending hours longer than three days.
A resolution passed by the Council allows the contractor who wins the bid for site preparation of the stadium to work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Some of the contractors who attended a prebid meeting on the site construction package asked for more hours to make sure they would be able to complete the work on time. The dirt work would take place during the wettest time of the year, from March to May.
The rural setting of the stadium, in a lightly populated area, would allow construction noise to be buffered, the resolution said.
At a glance
Springdale Baseball Stadium
Important dates for construction of Springdale baseball park:
Site construction
Bid opening Feb. 6
Contract award Feb. 13
Start date March 1
Street improvement
Bid Opening April 25
Contract award May 8
Start date May 15
General Construction
Bid Opening May 16
Contract award May 22
Start date June 1
Substantial Completion March 15, 2008
Opening Day April 1, 2008
Source: City of Springdale
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Jason wrote on Feb 1, 2007 6:59 PM:
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