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Board approves change orders to finish softball dirt work and move retention pond at new athletics facility
Summary
The board approved two change orders to the donor-funded baseball/softball construction project: $77,742 for additional softball dirt work and $376,951 to relocate and enlarge a retention pond, officials said. The board instructed staff to continue design work on the baseball field.
Huntsville School District trustees approved change orders on the donor-funded baseball and softball construction project to finish the softball field dirt work and relocate a retention pond that officials said must move to allow future development of the property.
During a lengthy presentation, district and contractor representatives described how a small retention pond currently located near the construction footprint limits the amount of dirt work that can be completed. District leaders said moving the pond closer to the creek and increasing its capacity would make the site suitable for future buildings, parking and athletic fields.
The district’s presentation said the project has roughly $3 million in donated funds; excluding a $39,000 deduction from not installing a sprinkler system, committed spending is near $2.9 million. The board approved two change orders: $77,742 to complete softball field dirt work and $376,951 to move and enlarge the retention pond. A board member moved and the board voted to approve the changes; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the public portion of the transcript.
Architects and contractors told the board the baseball field still requires further design work to avoid a very expensive retaining wall. Early estimates for completing the baseball infield and outfield grading and a retaining wall exceeded $600,000; staff said engineers are refining a lower-cost solution that moves the field west and may drop the playing surface to reduce wall height and cost.
District leaders said delaying the pond relocation would make later construction of a future high school or stadium more expensive, and that equipment mobilized for the current work would be costly to remobilize later. The board’s motion authorized staff to execute change order 1a (softball dirt work) and change order 1b (retention pond relocation) and to continue refining designs for the baseball field.
Why it matters: Board approval advances a donor-funded athletics facility that district leaders expect to relieve scheduling and facility shortages and prepares the site for possible future expansions. The pond relocation is an upstream infrastructure decision that district staff said is required for future construction to proceed.
Next steps: Staff and engineers will refine the baseball field design to reduce retaining-wall costs, shore up drainage plans related to the moved pond, and return to the board with additional details as designs and cost estimates are updated.
