Pike County Fiscal Court voted to award a construction contract to Elliott Contracting to rebuild the Greasy Creek Community Center, which county officials said was destroyed by arson.

Kevin Gillum of Summit Architects and Engineers told the court three bids were opened; the low bid from Elliott Contracting was $499,750. Gillum said the price equated to about $2.60 per square foot and included a new parking area. “If we go back in time, the original community center cost about a 150 a square foot,” Gillum said, noting inflation and a slightly larger footprint.

A commissioner described the site as previously “burnt down by a parent active arson.” After a motion and second, the court called the roll and approved the award. The architect recommended Elliott Contracting; court members said they expected no problems with the contractor and welcomed the company to begin work.

County officials said the project includes rebuilding the center with a slightly larger footprint than the original and the construction of a parking area; exact construction schedule and anticipated completion date were not specified at the meeting. The court did not discuss funding sources at length during the announcement.

Court members approved the bid on the recommendation of the retained architect and moved to proceed with contracting and construction oversight.