Boozer Complex work underway after county cut costs
Work is underway preparing the J.C. Boozer Complex for a renovation that local leaders in Ninety Six hope will bring in teams like the sports fields did in their glory days.
The Greenwood County Capital Projects Sales Tax is set to fund renovations and expansions of athletic facilities in the county to the tune of about $10.7 million. About $1 million of those funds are budgeted to help upgrade the Boozer Complex, which will provide four baseball diamonds, each with a soccer field nestled in the outfields.
In September 2020, the town of Ninety Six viewed multiple conceptual mock-ups of the complex and selected a plan based on the amenities provided. Soon after, the county put the chosen plan out to bid, with one company bidding to do the site work and a separate bid for the complex’s lighting.
Josh Skinner, capital project sales tax coordinator, said the project had a budget of about $1 million, and engineering services had already cost about $112,000. The bid for the site work alone estimated the cost at about $1.2 million, so Skinner and county officials knew they had to make cuts.
“We were well over budget,” he said. “We had to cut it down by, really, about $500,000.”
While seeking other avenues of funding, officials made measured cost cuts. Instead of building a new concessions stand and restrooms, they would just renovate the existing restrooms. An overflow parking area can be completed at a later date, and with other funds, Skinner said, and they found a local man who was willing to take down the existing fencing for free.
“You kind of had to make that choice, but that’s good,” said Ninety Six Mayor Mike Rowe. “They basically presented what we could do with what money was available, and we were OK with that.”
On May 4, County Council approved a $765,723 contract to do grading, asphalt for parking, pour concrete to create a center lane between the four fields and provide fencing and irrigation. On May 18, they approved at $118,750 contract to Premier Sports Lighting of Greenwood to install LED lighting at the site that aims to save money in the long term.
Parks and recreation officials are looking at what work can be done in-house, but the site has been cleared and the existing fencing removed in preparation for the grading work.
“I remember when I was a kid, there were no travel teams so everyone played there,” Rowe said of the Boozer Complex. “I’m kind of hoping it brings back some of that love for the parks and rec programs.”
Having newly remodeled fields could spell a rebirth of church youth sports programs and pickup games in town. Rowe said he was excited to see what the field will look like once completed, and said it’s something the town has needed for a while.
“You can have more kids playing at the same time, and teams playing on different fields,” he said.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Jun 21, 2021
By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com