CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The previously announced April 5 ribbon-cutting for Cleveland High School’s Raider Arena has been postponed because of a change in surfacing material for the new gymnasium’s elevated running track.
Raider Arena will replace the school’s historic 50-year-old Raider Dome, which was closed in December 2013 and subsequently demolished.
In a recent meeting with the Cleveland City Council, city school board member Charlie Cogdill discussed the Raider Arena project.
He assured the council that general contractor TriCon Construction was on schedule and the delayed ribbon-cutting was because of the track surfacing change, which will require a two-week installation and curing period without foot traffic.
“A new date will be determined by the Board of Education,” he said.
At its Jan. 28 meeting, the city school board voted 7-0 to install polyurethane material over Raider Arena’s concrete mezzanine-level track instead of using an epoxy paint covering as originally planned. The change order will result in an extra $34,510 in expense, which is expected to be absorbed by the contingency account of the project’s overall $11 million budget.
The decision was made after Upland Design Group architectural consultant Brian Templeton reported the concrete walkway had experienced thermal cracking during the building’s drying-out period. The cracks were not structural in nature, but had become more noticeable even though they would be repaired, he said.
“I know this is more money, but if you are going to use the track for physical education purposes, this is going to be better suited for that,” Templeton said.
He said the polyurethane coating, which is used in many primary school gymnasium areas, will conceal the floor’s cosmetic blemishes and is expected to have a life expectancy of 40-50 years.
Plans for an epoxy-coated track floor were originally made as part of a comprehensive “value engineering” process intended to keep the project well within its budget, Templeton said.
Cogdill said all other major benchmarks have been achieved or are underway in regard to the project.
The gymnasium’s wooden floor is undergoing court striping, and floor bleachers have been installed, he said. On the outside, sidewalk and grading work are nearly complete, with paving being the last critical exterior task.
Plans also are underway to include a fitness center in the lower level of Raider Arena, made possible through a $100,000 donation by Bank of Cleveland.
The fitness center, which will include weight-lifting areas, was not included in the proposed construction project because of budgetary limitations.
Cleveland High School principal Autumn O’Bryan long has called for the inclusion of the fitness space as a necessity for athletic training.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.