Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/982598
8 UCW MAY 16-22, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM It's official. Fayetteville's sports complex to be funded as part of last year's $35 million recreation bond referendum will be built at the Militar y Business Park off Santa Fe Drive. It was the over whelming preference of cit y council members. A cit y-owned propert y off Fields Road in East Fayetteville was also considered. e athletic complex, proposed as part of the referendum, is planned to include 15 ball fields for softball, baseball, soccer and football. A club- house for concessions and banquet/ meeting rooms is also planned. e projected cost of $5.5 million does not include purchase of the propert y adjacent to the militar y business park. at could add $4 million to the price. e council committee that stud- ied locations was chaired by Kathy Jensen, who recommended the Santa Fe Drive site. Councilman Jim Arp stressed that location is significantly impor- tant because "sports tourism is a $7 billion industry nationwide." e proposed site is near I-295 and 2.7 miles from the mall retail area. Arp noted the locale is already equipped with water and sewer utilities and is likely to attract significant commer- cial development. At its monthly work session, city council also tried to allay the con- cerns of residents along and near the two-lane section of Cliffdale Road between Morganton and McPherson Church Roads. State DOT Division Engineer Greg Burns said widen- ing of the roadway was added to the state's highway improvement program last year. He said engineer- ing and surveying work is underway, but construction isn't scheduled to begin until 2024. Burns said numer- ous efforts will be taken to encour- age public input on design planning beginning in the fall. The marat hon meet ing included discussion of mult iple projects. It appears cit y council is back ing away f rom t r y ing to just if y repair- ing half a dozen ear t hen dams t hat were heav ily damaged or dest royed during hurricane Matt hew a year- and-a half ago. The cost of repair- ing t wo of t he dams is already in t he millions of dollars; and t he NC Dam Safet y agenc y is holding nearby residents responsible. Cit y of f icials say t hey can't get involved because t he dams and lakes ser ve no public interest. Council members, including Kat hy Jensen, said repairing t he dams is unaffordable for residents and t he cit y. "It just doesn't make sense," she said. Councilman Bill Crisp, whose district includes two of the dams, told his colleagues the projects are not doable because of the high cost. Council agreed to cancel further studies of the other four dams where residents indicated an interest in restoring them. Planning and engineering of the proposed West Senior Center at Lake Rim Park continues. Council learned that the cost of the pro- posed $5 million project, which is also part of the bond package, is now just short of $7 million. A pair of 19,000-square-foot buildings is planned overlook ing Lake Rim off Old Raeford Road. Some council members would like to eliminate a heated therapeutic sw imming pool to reduce the cost. Staff w ill contin- ue evaluating possible project cuts. Athletic complex site selected by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS JEFF THOMPSON, Reporter. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. e athletic complex, proposed as part of the referendum, is planned to include 15 ball fields for softball, baseball, soccer and football. I N T H E P A R K A L U M N I W E E K E N D M U S I C M E G A F E S T the Temptations Friday May 25, 2018 Gates open at 5PM saturday May 26, 2018 Gates open at 2PM Productions K&Q Hosted by Association of E.E. Smith Alumni & Friends For more information, email info@alumnimusicfest.com or call 910-778-3632 PURCHASE ONLINE @ ALUMNIMUSICFEST.COM OR CASH AT THE GATE MAY 25TH & 26TH TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW F E S T I V A L P A R K , 2 2 5 R A Y A V E N U E Playing Friday Playing Saturday