Construction work on the new Stanley White Recreation Center in New Bern could go out for bid as early as next month, according to the architect firm overseeing the project.
During a Feb. 14 update before the New Bern Board of Aldermen, Chris Vulcano, project manager with CPL Architects and Engineers, said his firm hopes to open up bids for construction on the project towards the end of March.
Vulcano said CPL is currently working to finalize permitting for the project through the City of New Bern, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, the N.C. Department of Insurance Office, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
According to Vulcano, the city has approved both the building permit and site permit for the project. He said drawings were resubmitted to NCDIO in January and CPL hopes to have an answer on their approval later this month.
“That approval is needed before the City of New Bern Fire Department can sign off on their portion of the project,” Vulcano said.
FEMA guidelines require jurisdictional approval from all of the agencies involved before they will review the drawings for the new Stanley White Rec building, Vulcano noted.
“We’re hoping we can round up these last three approvals and submit our plans to FEMA in the coming weeks,” he said.
Reviewing the site plans for the new building, Vulcano said that while there have been a few modifications, the layout has remained much the same since he last updated the board in June.
The design calls for a two-story, 35,000 sq. foot building to be located on property purchased by the city between Gaston Boulevard and Third Avenue.
The plan features two gymnasiums, offices and multi-purpose spaces on the ground level, along with an elevated walking track and fitness and weight room on the second floor.
Vulcano noted that the previous plan showed an entry off of Gaston Boulevard adjacent to the apartment buildings. He said that has been modified so the entry and exit points for the building are both off Third Avenue, where the building’s signage will be located.
Architects have also added a passenger drop-off area in front of the building, he said.
Inside, the first floor will feature a gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, a multipurpose space, a game room and media lab as well as a concession area and catering kitchen, reception desk, restrooms and offices. Visitors can access the second floor via the ground floor’s stairway or an elevator near the gym doors.
The majority of the second floor will be devoted to a walking track. The area will also feature a large workout and cardio space and an exercise studio that can be used for smaller classes like yoga.
Vulcano said a large portion of the building’s exterior would be constructed using precast concrete. He said all exterior walls will be 12-inches thick, 8-inches of which will be concrete.
“When we went through this design, we really wanted to make sure that the exterior material was going to be durable and resilient and was going to last but was also going to be cost effective in terms of giving us the most bang for our buck,” Vulcano explained.
In July, the board of aldermen rejected a cheaper option for the recreation center construction proposed by CPL due to the rising cost of materials and labor.
The projected cost for the original two-story, 35,000 square feet design has risen from $12.4 million to $13.9 million.
The alternate design would have decreased the building’s footprint to 28,437 square feet and eliminated the second floor while bringing the estimated cost down to $12.1 million.
By a vote of 5 to 1, the board agreed to direct CPL to continue with plans for the original design.
Then-alderman Jeffrey Odham was the lone no vote, while Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey did not attend the meeting.
By Todd Wetherington, Co-Editor. Send an email with questions or comments.