There is growing anticipation that the new pressbox for Perdue Field will be complete just in time for the start of the 2022 Trigg County Wildcats football campaign.
However, some slight changes have come to the design in these final moments.
During a special-called Trigg Schools Board of Education meeting last week, board members approved a pair of change orders totaling nearly $45,000 in contingency funds. This will pay for stronger indoor flooring, as well as some considerable site work to keep ADA-compliant parking near the building while addressing some drainage concerns on the plot.
Both decisions were unanimously approved, but not chosen easily.
Sherman Carter Barnhart Architect Andrew Owens said contractors were ready to move forward with a luxury vinyl composition tile for the pressbox flooring, but a premium upgrade was going to cost less than $3,200 extra — while providing a better surface.
Board member Theresa Allen said she had some initial concerns about the pressbox’s internal durability, as well, particularly with weather elements.
The site’s grading plans have been a heavy point of discussion since the inception of this project, and for a number of reasons. Longtime supporters of Trigg County’s football program have grown accustom to the location of certain parking spots, particularly for ADA compliance, and the possibility of building new restrooms — only to see them possibly flood in heavy rains — would be an unfortunate boondoggle.
Owens brought forth a new plan that included a header curb, a sloped walk, new stairs, 6-foot fencing for this backside ridge and some additional dirtwork — which helps keep those parking spots close, and also avoids the two pickup lanes for the primary and intermediate schools.
Owens added that original plans for the site and this pressbox maybe didn’t address those concerns as thoroughly, but that he’s spent the past few weeks trying to negotiate the price.
Director of Operations Matt Ladd backed up Owens, stating he’d brought some program supporters to review the site, perhaps to discover an alternative.
Owens said either option was safe for the public, but again the original model overlapped some parking spots into those drive up lanes.
The likelihood of football parking and those lanes colliding traffic seems unlikely, but Ladd and board member Charlene Sheehan illuminated other issues.
Trigg County Schools now has less than $60,000 of contingency remaining for this project, which does include the multi-purpose facility.
The Wildcats open the 2022 season with four consecutive home games, beginning August 19 against Todd County Central.
