By Elizabeth Pattman

Staff writer

Construction of the Joseph W. Luter Jr. Sports Complex is wrapping up and the Smithfield Recreation Association is gearing up to move in, but the facilities will not be fully functional until a turn lane is installed at the entrance of the complex at the end of summer.

Project manager Brian Camden provided the Smithfield Town Council with an update May 22 on the construction, which included news that the masonry at the entrance had been completed, the asphalt paving had begun and the crossover storm water drain had been successfully installed near the site. Final sidewalk and landscaping installations have also been completed, he said.

According to Camden, RAD Sports has been on site all month correcting inspection punch list items, fine grading the topsoil and installing stone sub-base materials in the parking lots to prepare for paving. {mprestriction ids=”1,2,3,4,5,6″}

According to Camden’s report, Blair Brothers Paving moved onto the site on May 14 and began fine grading and proof rolling the parking lot areas. Parts of the parking lot began receiving asphalt two days later on May 16. Due to rainy weather, paving stopped, but was scheduled to continue May 23. 

RAD was also responsible for installing the storm drain crossover on Courthouse Highway, which was successfully completed by a sub-contracted company in early May.

Final installations of sidewalks and landscaping also occurred this month, with only minor drainage issues being found and corrected by RAD at no cost to the town, said Camden.

RAD re-seeded the complex’s fields last month and both Camden and council members reported that the site is starting to “green up nicely.”

A.R. Chesson Construction, the contractors for the concessions building, also worked at the complex earlier this month, fixing a damaged drywall ceiling and delivering two statues for the area.

Isle of Wight County has yet to issue a certificate of occupancy for the building, but will do so once the Town of Smithfield has formally certified ownership. This formality is expected to come up in forthcoming Town Council meetings.

According to Smithfield Parks and Recreation Director Amy Novak, the complex itself is nearly completed and SRA is getting ready to move in. Discussions have begun on how to outfit the concessions building and the organization will begin planning for tournaments and fall ball activities, she said. Novak expects that the turn lane installation at the entrance of the site should be completed by late summer, which will make the complex fully operational.

Once the facilities are open, the town is estimating annual operational costs at $59,500, Novak said. For fiscal year 2019, these operational costs include $6,500 in contracted services—like trash service, pest control and similar—$5,000 in utilities, $8,000 in insurance and $40,000 in repairs and maintenance, according to Novak.  {/mprestriction}