Update - Demolition Meant to Cure Parks & Rec Mold Problem

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Demolition Meant to Cure Parks & Rec Mold Problem

Bristol Herald Courier - Bristol,TN*

By McGee

Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier

Published: June 19, 2008

http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/city_to_gut_clean_and

_abandon_mold_riddled_offices_beneath_gene_malcolm_sta/10828/

BRISTOL, Va. – The city plans to gut, clean and abandon mold-riddled

office space beneath Gene Malcolm Stadium and purchase new quarters

to house affected employees, the city manager said Wednesday.

Six Parks and Recreation Department employees are temporarily

working in City Hall, after a study confirmed that drainage problems

caused a variety of molds to form on their office walls, ceilings

and floors under the stadium. A concession stand also is affected.

A new report by Gray, Tenn.-based civil engineers Ahler & Young

projected the cost to rehabilitate and make the stadium spaces

inhabitable again. The amount was prohibitive, City Manager Bill

Dennison said.

" The cost was going to be close to a half-million dollars, " Dennison

said. " And it wasn't going to keep the [mold] problem from

reoccurring in the future. "

After meeting last week with the engineers and a construction firm,

the city now plans to clean up the existing mold and clear out the

affected spaces, Dennison said.

" We're meeting again Friday to see what we can do with our [city]

people, and what [work] we have to contract. But we plan to kill and

remove the mold, open up the old offices and allow air and light to

take care of any problem in the future, " Dennison said.

Current plans also include removing mold, then remodeling the

concession stand and installing a separate roof structure to divert

water, Dennison said.

" To allow for the lost space in the floor area for supports for the

roof, we'll have to bring the concession stand out further, "

Dennison said. " But the first home football game is Aug. 29, so this

will have to be on the fast track. "

If the work can't be completed by then, the city may have to use a

concession trailer.

" That would be a last resort, " said Parks and Recreation Director

Dye. " We want to do this at a minimum of inconvenience to the

public. "

On Wednesday, city employees began removing truckloads of items

stored beneath the stadium so work could begin soon.

Estimates for the revised improvements are incomplete. However, the

city's proposed solution also now includes buying a home and 4.03

acres of land adjacent to Sugar Hollow Park and S. Battle High

School, Dennison said.

Money for the purchase would require the City Council to approve a

transfer from the solid waste capital improvement fund to the

general fund, Dennison said, adding that no money will be borrowed

for the project.

" If I didn't have funds on hand, I wouldn't attempt it, " Dennison

said.

Before proceeding, the city must also receive a special-use permit

from the Washington County Planning Commission to locate government

offices on property zoned A-2 agricultural.

The board has set a June 30 hearing and the purchase is contingent

on getting the approval, Dennison said. He declined to discuss a

purchase price, saying negotiations are incomplete.

The city's total cost to clean up and repair the stadium, plus buy

and renovate the house into offices, is expected to be less than the

original remediation and repair estimate, Dennison said.

" It all should be less than a half-million dollars, and we'll end up

with better facilities at the stadium and for the department, which

would put them at one of their largest facilities [sugar Hollow

Park], " Dennison said. " And we won't have to keep dealing with the

mold problem. "

The city expects to recoup some of its investment by selling 2.6

acres of the house's parcel to the county for use as parking at the

high school.

" We've been interested in that piece of property for a long time

because parking at Battle for baseball, softball and track

events is really minimal, " county school Superintendent Alan Lee

said. " We've talked with the city, and I will support the change in

zoning. Getting that property would be a real benefit for us. "

School officials recently opposed a bid by Highlands Community

Services to acquire the same parcel, Lee said, because the

organization wanted to build an office to employ 30-60 people whose

access would have been through school property.

" They would had to have come out between our baseball field and

track, and that looked like a nightmare to us, " Lee said.

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