MORGANTON, N.C. — The Morganton City Council voted Oct. 14 to award an engineering services contract to McAdams for the reconstruction of Catawba Meadows Park and the Catawba River Soccer Complex, approving a not-to-exceed amount of $1,570,618 and authorizing the mayor or city manager to execute the agreement.

The contract covers site investigation, permitting, schematic and design phases, cost estimating through 90 percent, and construction administration for both facilities, which council and staff said were heavily damaged and are located in a flood plain.

City staff recommended using part of proceeds from a cash flow loan awarded by the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer to fund the contract. Council also approved a motion to transfer loan proceeds into the Helene Capital Projects Fund to pay for the work.

Why it matters: The two parks are a regional sports tourism draw and remain out of service; staff and the consultant said restoring resilient, tournament-quality fields is complex and will require larger construction budgets and regulatory coordination. During a presentation, the consultant estimated construction costs for the two sites at roughly $15 million to $18 million and framed the engineering fee as approximately 10 percent of that projected construction cost.

Nick Lowe, a senior project manager with McAdams who said he will manage the project, walked council through the firm's team and experience, citing recent FEMA-related park and field restoration work in other North Carolina jurisdictions. McAdams' proposal in the packet showed an engineering fee figure of about $1,500,000; Lowe told council the firm had used available city survey data to pare the scope and lower some costs.

"We know we wanna be playing soccer next fall," Lowe said, arguing for starting site investigations and cost estimating promptly so the city can reach permit-ready designs and advertise for construction bids.

Council members and staff emphasized the complexity created by the sites' location in a flood plain, which will add permitting, resilience, and mitigation work beyond a routine field repair. "If we could just throw some grass seed on it, then put the fence back up and let's go — it's a little more complicated than that," a councilmember said during discussion.

Councilmember Butch moved to award the contract to McAdams for an amount not to exceed $1,570,618; Councilmember Chris seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote. Council later moved, on a separate motion, to transfer cash flow loan proceeds to the Helene Capital Projects Fund to cover the payment; that motion passed as well.

The city and McAdams said the engineering contract is a not-to-exceed figure and that staff will return to council if investigations uncover issues requiring additional scope or funding. The consultant said the project schedule anticipates 2–3 months to kick off and reach approximately 30 percent design, with iterative cost-estimating pauses at later milestones.

The council did not set a final construction budget during the meeting. McAdams' presentation estimated total construction costs at about $15 million to $18 million; the engineering fee is intended to produce detailed cost estimates to refine those numbers and support FEMA or other grant reimbursement arguments.

Votes at a glance: Award engineering services to McAdams, not to exceed $1,570,618 — motion moved by Councilmember Butch; seconded by Councilmember Chris; outcome: approved (voice vote).

Transfer cash flow loan proceeds to Helene Capital Projects Fund for Catawba Meadows and the soccer complex — motion moved by Councilmember Chris; seconded by Councilmember Wendy; outcome: approved (voice vote).

The council adjourned after approving the funding transfer and the contract authorization. Staff will return to council if investigations require amendments to the approved contract or additional budget actions.