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Alexandria board hears scaled-back SportsPlex design and $6.3 million estimate
Summary
An architect presented a pared-down SportsPlex locker-room addition and a multi-part bid strategy; the board questioned circulation, concessions placement and ADA access as the presenter estimated a total project cost just over $6.3 million.
Andrew, the presenter for the SportsPlex concept, showed the board a reduced-scope proposal focused on a roughly 5,000-square-foot locker-room addition, a vestibule entry and modest lobby space. He said the plan scales back previously larger proposals and separates the work into bid packages to control costs.
“We're really just kind of looking more at strictly locker room addition,” Andrew said while walking through floor plans and elevations. He outlined the proposed construction subtotal at $5,000,000, soft costs of $750,000 and a 10% contingency, noting, “When we add that in, we are right over just over $6,300,000 for the total proposed project.” The design includes new aluminum bleachers, restrooms, a referee room and an ADA lift at the main entry to avoid a long exterior ramp.
Board members raised functional concerns about circulation and crowding. One committee member warned of a potential bottleneck in the proposed warming-room corridor near the new entrance, and Andrew acknowledged the corridor is “roughly 6 feet wide,” proposing additional doors into the locker-room corridor to allow people to bypass congested space. The board discussed moving the concession stand to a corner closer to bleachers so that the lobby warming area would be less traffic-prone.
Andrew recommended bidding the work in separate packages—(1) the addition, (2) interior alterations, and (3) siding/roof/openings—with alternates for a new scoreboard, AV replacement, lighting upgrades and a future HVAC system to support year-round use. He said alternates let the board gather firm prices and postpone work that doesn’t fit the immediate budget. The board agreed to schedule a follow-up working session to refine the design and solicit public feedback.
