City Council approves Mathis Field makeover
By Elliott Robinson
Aug 20, 2010, 14:18
Mathis Field is a step closer to gaining a new restroom and concession stand building. During the City Council meeting last Tuesday, the proposal from Harlan Construction Company Inc. to build a replacement building was accepted. The proposal will put the new building on land adjacent to the current building.
The project will be funded through $2.6 million in tax dollars that were recovered under the 2010 fiscal year budget. During the June 8 City Council meeting, $260,000 was allocated toward the construction of a new building.
Construction on the new facility may start at the end of baseball season later this month and will cause minimum disruption as the current building will be operational throughout the construction. Once the new building is complete, the old concession stand and restrooms will be used for storage.
During the meeting, City Council also directed City Manager Dr. Edwin Daley to terminate a development agreement for the site of the Bluffs Apartments.
A developer, Associated Contracting Services Inc. of Portsmouth had a 180-day due diligence to hold community meetings, develop a preliminary site development plan, architectural designs, a market demand study, a financial feasibility and fiscal impact analysis and work on the sale or lease of property with a final development agreement.
The city had received three bids for the property once the original apartments were removed. After a closed session meeting, City Council had chosen this developer to work on the site of the blighted apartments. The predevelopment agreement went into effect on March 10, 2009.
