Etowah Mega Sports Authority waiting for work to resume; play date still up in the air

The Etowah County Mega Sports Complex Authority moved a step closer to getting back to work on the soccer complex located in Rainbow City with the awarding of a bid for paving work at the site. 

The authority on Friday awarded a bid for paving work — after pulling that task out of its project bid to handle separately. Chairman Ralph Burke said as originally bid, the parking area at the complex would have been crush and run gravel.

Authority members did not want a gravel parking lot, and decided to bid that project separately. Burke said the low bid was $312,000 for asphalt, with some grading work included, and $10,000 for striping the parking lot. He said contractor Milam & Company had a bid of $355,000 for the work, so this bid will means savings for the authority.

After a complicated fall, the authority completed a bond issue delayed by legal action Treasurer Hugh Miller said, and has paid money owed to contractors and other money borrowed.

To date, the authority has paid Milam & Company $4,953,189 for work completed, $926,868 to Chambless King Architects and $91,641 to other engineers.

As to the larger question of when the soccer field will be ready for play, Burke said they can't project that just now. Getting sod down is a key, he said, and allowing time for it to set up a good root system.

GameDay, the company that will install the sod, is working on a project now at Westbrook, he said, and says the Etowah County complex is their next job. He said there is some "tidying up" to be done, and fixtures in storage to be brought to the complex's concession stand building.

There is paving work to be completed, Burke said, and contractors have been told if there are any plants or trees with "life in their roots," to plant them. Some are in place, he said; he was not sure about whether they would survive.

Burke said the authority is looking at whether to hire a complex director who would handle hiring and management of the facility, or a management company to run it. 

A committee is looking at what other facilities have done and may consult with representatives about their experiences. Burke said Oxford's sports complex has its own employees; the Sand Mountain Park and Amphitheater has a management company.

Some members of the authority questioned how much of the authority's legal fees were the result of legal actions brought by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and joined by Etowah County Tourism that held up the bond issue and the resumption of work on the complex.

Miller said he didn't have those expenses tabulated separate from other legal costs.

He said the legal action had cost "four months playing time" when the complex would have generated revenue.

Rep. Gil Isbell, R-Gadsden, attended the meeting, along with authority members Randy Vice, Roger Boatner, Craig Ford, Trina Willett, Burke and Miller.

Isbell said he appreciated the work done to resolve the legal issues. 

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.