BENTONVILLE -- The city's Community Recreation Center is close to another construction milestone as a topping out ceremony will be held July 18.
Community tours will begin at 11 a.m. at the site at 1101 S.W. Citizens Circle. A complimentary lunch will be served to the first 200 people, according to the invitation.
The day will be an opportunity for the public to see the site during construction and get a feel for what the building will be like, David Wright, Parks and Recreation director, told the City Council at its last June meeting.
People will have an opportunity to sign the last beam before it's put up, he said. The 82,000-square-foot center is slated to open in 2015.
There will be three or four designated areas where the public can tour and safely see progress, said Pat Carroll, Crossland Construction project manager. Crossland Construction is building the center.
"Do you think it will be warmer that day?" Mary Baggett, Ward 1 alderwoman, asked in reference to the frigid temperatures and blistering wind attendees of the groundbreaking ceremony endured Nov. 12.
Carroll reported to the council the progress that's been made since then.
"We've put close to 2,000 cubic yards of concrete down," he said. "We've erected close to 490 tons of structural steel. We're close to 40,000 man hours in play already."
Carroll showed aerial photographs that showed the building under construction seated in the middle of a circular road attached to parking lots that were completed a couple of years ago in phase one of the project.
Work on the roof started on the south side over the gymnasium and is working its way north over the multipurpose rooms, he said.
The two pools are taking shape. The concrete for the running track that will be above the gym has been placed, Carroll said.
"We're making really, really good progress," he said.
Some of the duct work is being installed, and windows are starting to be defined by the exterior framing that been put in place.
Work is on schedule, Carroll said.
"We've survived the winter, the weather's warmed up and construction is progressing nicely," Wright said.
The council also approved a $1.5 million budget adjustment so Parks and Recreation officials could order furniture, fixtures and equipment.
The money was set aside in the 2013 budget, according to meeting documents.
NW News on 07/07/2014