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Chattanooga: Finley uses cash for repairs

By: Brian Lazenby
(Contact)

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Gordon Davenport

Finley Stadium officials agreed Thursday to spend almost $100,000 from their fundraising campaign to make a series of repairs to the 12-year-old stadium.

“All in all, for its age, it’s in pretty good shape,” said Stadium Corp. board member Mike Davis. He said he spoke with several contractors and estimated the repairs will cost about $98,500.

Bill Wilkerson, an architect with Derthick, Henley and Wilkerson, the firm that designed the stadium on Chattanooga’s Southside, said the facility could survive 60 or 70 years with proper maintenance.

“If we don’t maintain it, we wont get that far,” he said.

Members of the panel that oversees the facility’s operation agreed to repairs to the soffit at the South entrance. Also, repairs will be made to dry wall at the South entrance soffit area and to a louver on an elevator vent. In addition, they agreed to the cleaning, waterproofing and caulking of the plaza area above the locker rooms.

Board members opted to wait until after the 2008 football season to paint and galvanize the metal soffits on the underside of the second and third level skybox areas.

Those repairs are expected to cost about $85,000, Mr. Davis said.

Gordon Davenport Jr. praised the Friends of Finley fundraising effort, which he said has generated pledges totaling $113,000. So far they have received payments of $76,000 on their way to a goal of $150,000, he said.

“The people we are soliciting from get it,” Mr. Davenport said. “They understand what this stadium means for the Southside. They understand this is a community facility.”

In other business, Stadium Corp. board members agreed to write a letter to former board member Joe Decosimo expressing their gratitude for his service.

Mr. Decosimo offered his resignation from the board citing his age, 83, and a need for him to reduce his involvement.

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