June 22, 2020 at 12:42 p.m.
Despite minor setbacks, work on sports complex on schedule
Dome set to be ready for use in September
Despite minor setbacks, work on sports complex on schedule
John Kneer, president of Rettler Corporation, the firm the district hired to oversee the project, offered a progress update during the board's most recent meeting June 15.
"Things started with earth moving and mobilizing the contractors in," Kneer said. "We are very pleased with all the progress that is being made with the earthwork that is being moved right now, with the dome being in production in St. Louis right now. It's very exciting to know that. Every last detail is being attended to at this moment. So when we do bring that to inflate in September, as scheduled, that it will have every last detail, including the netting on the inside."
Kneer said work on the artificial turf for the field inside the dome is expected to begin soon.
"We're going through a very extensive review of that, that is going to be in production soon, as well," Kneer said. "And then the overall scheduling of the storm sewer work, the other utility work, the electrical, the storage building and control room there, and then the demo and then the addition onto the existing concession/restroom building is really starting to mesh up."
Kneer told the board the master schedule for the project was recently updated, including the schedules for the various parts of the project.
"Everything is onboard with all of the multiple time contracts," Kneer said. "They are lining up properly to give us a similar end date that we presented back in December to you."
There have been a few small surprises "that you find in every project, but nothing that has set us back at this point in time," he added.
Kneer said the soil where the footings for will go is being replaced "to make sure that the building's footings are on solid ground," which has nudged some components of the project back a little bit, he explained.
"But (they are) in concert, so they are moving together," Kneer said. "We helped strategize a schedule at the last meeting with our on-site construction manager and the multiple prime contractors where we sat down and figured out how to get things back on track after that. So the end result is still on schedule from what we presented back in December."
Kneer was asked if bedrock might prove to be a problem as the work continues on the concrete grade beam.
"We don't. The specific challenge at this point is unsuitable peat layers that we're removing. We don't want to build anything on that," Kneer replied. "We're down far enough on the entire site to know we're not going to hit any bedrock, which is a very big positive."
"There are several giant boulders out there, if anyone needs one," he added with a laugh. "I don't know how we'd get it to you. But that may have been some of the concerns we had earlier on about bedrock is the size of some of the really large boulders that are out there."
Earlier in the day, the Hodag Schools Foundation presented a check for "a bit over" $320,000, including a contribution from an anonymous donor.
The foundation has raised over $2 million in private donations for the project.
The donors will be recognized on a donor wall, it was noted.
"I'd like to thank the community and the donors," said board president Ron Counter.
Jamie Taylor may be reached via email at jamie@rivernews
online.com.
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