Board OKs change order to finish Dave Rider Center additions, restore walkway and paving

The Elizabethton City Schools Board of Education approved change order #001 with Burleson Construction Company Inc. to add back several items to the Dave Rider Center athletic-performance project after a city council contribution of $250,000.

Director Van Huss said the additional funds allow the district to restore features that were previously value-engineered out of the project, including a covered walkway connecting the new building to the gym, upgraded weight-room flooring, additional restrooms required by the fire marshal and paving/repaving around the facility. "It also adds back some appropriate flooring for the weight room space," Van Huss said, and he described fire-marshal-driven additions that increased costs.

Board members asked about parking and Van Huss said some gravel parking behind the gym will be replaced and repaving will create marked spots; he estimated the district is repairing heavy-traffic areas that have been problematic since the building was constructed. Van Huss emphasized the change order addresses safety and functionality. "So it's really gonna dress that area up back there again and allow us to have a space that we're really, really proud of," he said.

The motion to approve the change order passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded in the transcript; the item was presented as part of routine capital-project management and the board did not record individual vote tallies.

What's next: Work on underground utilities and paving should proceed; Van Huss said additional site work and finishing touches will continue in the coming weeks.