Fiscal Court approves Paducah Sports Park entry-plaza drawings, hears construction update

McCracken County fiscal court on May 12 approved entry-plaza drawings for the Paducah Sports Park and heard a multi-hour project update from county staff and consultants on site work, field construction and the entry pavilion design.

The approval follows presentations by county staff and design consultants showing 90% construction documents for the entry plaza; officials said those drawings will go to contractors for pricing after city commission review. "They are the 90% construction documents. After this meeting in the city commission tomorrow night, they'll proceed with 100% construction documents, then ultimately send that out for pricing," said Steve Irvin, who presented the project schedule and photos to the fiscal court.

Why it matters: the Sports Park is a multiagency project funded and operated under an interlocal agreement among the county, the city of Paducah and the Sports Tourism Commission. County officials said completing the entry-plaza documents and approving them under the interlocal agreement will allow contractors to price and schedule the plaza work without delaying the rest of the complex.

What the court heard: presenters described active utility and site work, installation of composite matting where heavy trucks were damaging Stuart Nelson Park Road, completed foundations for a concession building, ongoing backstop and fence post installation, and poured dugouts for several fields. "The foundation is completed. They're actually working on the walls at this time," Irvin said. Contractors also installed subsurface drainage and, presenters said, most turf for fields has been delivered and will be installed soon.

Design specifics shown to the fiscal court included an open-air entry pavilion with restrooms, a tournament-director office and mechanical rooms placed beneath the pavilion roof, earthen berm seating areas that top out about six feet above adjacent sidewalks, vendor-tent locations with power, food-trailer and modular retail locations, and accessible sidewalks from primary parking. Presenters said the entry plaza concept was intended to be visually welcoming and flexible for tournaments, vendor space and spectator use.

Schedule and finances: presenters said the contractor will receive 100% construction documents and pricing soon; the county’s project schedule showed site work and field work continuing, with turf installation progressing field-by-field. Jeff, identified as a representative of Peck Flannery (design consultant), said the team expects to send the final documents to the contractor and obtain prices within about two weeks of that delivery. The fiscal court approved an order that "the Paducah Sports Park entry plaza drawings" be accepted in accordance with section 1.5(a) of the interlocal agreement.

Related actions and payments: during the meeting the court approved multiple sports-park and ballfield-related payments and contract amendments under the interlocal agreement. The court authorized payment of PFG invoice $27,881.65 and BFW invoice $6,839.28 under the interlocal split with the city. The court also approved change order number 1 with Jay's Electric adding field No. 4 for $29,006.64 and a related material change order with Hannon's Supply for $19,993.36. County staff told the court field No. 4 had not been in the original bid package and that the added work will bring Field 4’s lighting up to the same standard as the other fields.

What officials said about events and bookings: Irvin said marketing efforts are already producing tournament interest and that the park has received numerous tournament inquiries for the coming season. Chaz Heron, identified as the sports park general manager, was quoted as reporting more than 15 tournament requests for April–July, and Irvin said demand suggests many weekends will be filled once the park is open.

Next steps: county staff said they will deliver the 100% construction documents to the contractor and request pricing; if pricing and internal approvals proceed as described, construction of the entry plaza will be added to the contractor's scope via contract modification. The court also authorized the judge executive and treasurer to issue purchase orders and pay invoices tied to the sports-park work under existing agreements.