County restores championship field at Paducah Sports Park after nearly $2 million in change orders

The McCracken County Fiscal Court voted Jan. 27 to add a championship field to the Paducah Sports Park by approving three contract change orders totaling about $1,937,017 and awarding a separate contract for food-service equipment.

Jeff Kanter, of PFW Architects, told the court the championship field had been removed from earlier bids to meet a target budget and that the field "was one of those items that was removed, but it would be the first item to come back." The court approved the change orders for three contractors: A&K Construction ($999,000 change order), Musco Sports Lighting LLC ($165,525 change order) and Sprint Turf LLC ($772,492 change order). The three change orders together were described at the meeting as the value of the championship field.

Separately, the court awarded Avanti Service Restaurant Solutions a contract for Paducah Sports Park bid package 3 (food service equipment) in the amount of $663,892 after unsealing bids previously received.

Participants said the version of the championship field being restored matches previously approved design documents with no design changes to the field itself. The court discussed, but had not yet reviewed publicly, concepts for what will replace the previously removed grandstand structure; staff said revised concepts for the area between the parking lot and championship field were under internal review and would be brought back to the court next month.

Commissioners asked to see final plans before approving related grandstand or perimeter features; the court did not delay the change orders for the championship field itself because those elements matched the already-bid specifications. All three change orders and the food-service award passed on voice votes recorded as "all in favor, aye."