City reports town center construction progress; council weighs naming, dog-park relocation and animal-shelter sound work

City Manager Miller provided multiple construction and operations updates at the Feb. 27 East Ridge City Council meeting, reporting progress on the new town-center multipurpose facility and discussing related event-planning, naming and park-use questions.

Miller said the 12,000-square-foot multipurpose facility behind city hall and the community center is progressing: foundations have been excavated, underground plumbing and electrical conduit are installed, footers will be poured next week (weather permitting), and interior floor pours are planned after additional site preparation. He said underground fire-protection work is roughly 85–90% complete and a fire hydrant has been installed.

Miller also said the community-center expansion is generating contractor interest after a Feb. 19 pre-bid meeting that drew an estimated 40 contractors and subcontractors. The expansion is roughly a $1 million project, with about half the funding expected from state sources and the remainder by the city; bids are due March 11 and, if schedule allows, a contract award could be on the March 27 council agenda or, alternatively, April 10. Miller said a start date in April or May is likely with an estimated 270-day construction schedule.

Council members discussed naming the new facility and whether the broader downtown area should be referred to collectively as the “Town Center.” Miller said he favored using “Town Center” as an umbrella name for the cluster of civic assets that includes city hall, the library, splash pad, community center, museum and the new multipurpose facility. Council members suggested options and discussed inviting public input or making a council decision in March.

Because the new facility is intended to host private events such as weddings, receptions and banquets, Miller recommended relocating the existing dog park, which sits close to the project, to avoid noise conflicts when garage doors are open for events. He proposed Springvale Park or Camp Jordan as relocation options and said grants may be available to offset costs. Council members had previous survey results indicating Springvale Park was a frequently requested location in resident feedback; staff also noted some fixtures (benches, some hardware) could be salvaged to reduce relocation costs. Miller said the original $25,000 grant used to develop the current dog-park site did not come from a state grant program and would not automatically require state payback if the city moves the park.

Miller also updated the council on sound attenuation work for the recently built animal shelter. The city opened bids earlier in February and received one proposal from Input Group that priced the scope at more than $200,000, which the city considered too high. Staff and the bidder discussed three options: interior acoustical panels, exterior panels in exposed kennel areas, and construction of a 15-foot sound wall. Miller said staff recommended a combination of ceiling acoustical panels inside the building and a 15-foot sound wall; Input Group agreed to refine its pricing and return with a revised figure expected to be under $200,000. The city currently has roughly $217,000 reserved from shelter construction funds that staff said could be applied to the attenuation project if the revised proposal comes in under budget.

Miller asked the council to consider naming options in coming weeks and to decide on a dog-park relocation site so the city can apply for grants that require a location. He also said the town-center facility aims to be substantially complete by the end of the year, and that staff needs several months for sign design and fabrication to have new signage ready for the facility’s grand opening.

No formal votes on naming or dog-park relocation occurred at the Feb. 27 meeting; staff said those items will appear on future meeting agendas for formal action.