News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County is working towards a spring groundbreaking for long anticipated additions to the County Sports Complex.
Parks and Recreation Director John Ross Albertson said the bid package for the two additional fields and entrance should come out sometime next month.
“We’ve been able to go ahead and start in all of the in-kind work,” Albertson said. “It is essentially how we offset the match with 50 percent of the grant. Of course, the state will pay us 50 percent of the total project, and we are responsible for the other 50 percent.”
Albertson said most of the cost will be offset by using county labor and equipment. Albertson said some budget adjustments will likely have to be made with parts of the plan nearing three years old.
“When you send that out to bid depending on prices that return, there could be changes that have to be made based on budgeting,” Albertson said. “That is the unfortunate part with this project. We worked with TDEC for three years in order to try and gain their approval to get to this point. So, our estimations of course are going to be a little different.”
Albertson said majority of the project will be dirt work. Albertson said the county is projecting a completion date late this year.
“We’ve seen some delays with COVID in some of our other projects,” Albertson said. “But, hopefully with this one we do not anticipate any.”
The expansion consists of adding two new fields. One will be located at the old airport hanger off North Washington while the other will sit north north of the two existing fields. Along with the additions, a new main entrance will be built on North Washington.
