Richland County board asks architects, contractors to refine athletic-complex plans after multifirm presentation

Richland County Community School District No. 1 trustees heard detailed design and cost briefings Tuesday on a proposed athletic complex and asked the district’s architects and contractors to refine designs and coordinate with coaches before presenting final documents and cost estimates. Presenters outlined options for a new stadium, synthetic turf field, locker rooms, concession and restroom facilities, tennis courts and expanded parking.

Board members said the project is intended to address safety, accessibility and aging infrastructure while expanding community use. The presentations came from FGM Architects (Emily), ATG Sports (Joe Giannino) and Hunter Construction (John Merrill), who described site grading, drainage, seating options and building configurations.

The designers presented two building options: a larger integrated fieldhouse that includes a taller Veterans Hall and a more compact fieldhouse without that separate meeting space. Both plans show locker rooms, concessions and public restrooms; one option would add roughly 600–700 seats to the existing grandstand capacity. The team also presented scoring and scoreboard options: a standard scoreboard estimated at roughly $50,000–$70,000 and a video scoreboard with a preliminary cost range the presenters gave as about $275,000–$325,000.

ATG Sports discussed synthetic turf performance, maintenance and drainage. “It’s not maintenance free, it’s just maintenance minimal,” Joe Giannino said, explaining that synthetic turf installations require periodic, lower‑intensity maintenance compared with natural grass. He described a typical infill system of sand plus crumb rubber, said installers generally build about 18–19 inches of porous base beneath the turf for drainage, and noted the firm’s drainage warranty term: “we warranty the turf and the draining system … for 8 years,” he said during the discussion.

Designers and contractors also fielded questions about stormwater, runoff and neighborhood impacts. Presenters described a vertically drained field system that stores and slowly releases stormwater through rock and piping; they said final engineering and a pre‑construction drainage study would define detention sizing and outfall work. Board members raised ambulance access and spectator circulation and asked that ambulance access be shown on updated drawings.

The board and staff discussed construction timing and phasing. Presenters provided a draft schedule that assumed design, permitting and bidding would take place in the fall and winter, with construction work beginning after winter for a projected completion in the summer before the next school year; presenters cautioned weather and permitting could push dates and offered a staged approach that could prioritize concessions and restrooms for earlier turnover. Hunter Construction and the architects said they would work to identify long‑lead items and procurement steps that could be started early.

Board members directed the design team to meet with coaches and other athletic staff to refine program and storage needs, to clarify parking and ADA access, and to return with a revised plan and firm pricing. The board also asked staff to invite an additional turf vendor to present so trustees could compare systems and references before final procurement decisions.

Next steps include: further coordination with coaches, updated design drawings that show ambulance access and drainage details, additional reference checks for turf providers, and a revised cost estimate to be returned to the board for review before any formal vote on financing or construction contracts.