North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Wilmington city council has awarded a $4.5 million project to Clancy & Theys Construction Co. for the MLK Community Center Gym Expansion and Kitchen Renovation. The motion was approved unanimously last night (Oct. 17).
Upgrades will include the addition of a commercial kitchen, a lobby, new restrooms, office space, and a high school regulation-sized gymnasium.
The commercial kitchen construction and a portion of the gymnasium expansion is funded by American Rescue Act funds, but city staff says current construction cost escalation “has contributed to the project’s need for additional funding.”
This amount includes additional funding needed for the construction contract award, a 5 percent construction contingency, construction administration services, special inspection services, and construction material testing services,” according to information from city staff. “The additional funding comes from the available debt capacity within the debt service fund.”
On November 8, 2016, voters passed the Wilmington Parks Bond Referendum, which among other projects, provided funding for the MLK Community Center Gym Expansion and Kitchen Renovation. The project includes the addition of a commercial kitchen, a lobby, new restrooms, office space, and a high school regulation sized gymnasium. Current construction cost escalation has contributed to the project’s need for additional funding.
The commercial kitchen construction and a portion of the gymnasium expansion is funded by American Rescue Act funds. In order to award this contract, an ordinance was approved for a supplemental appropriation to the Park and Recreation Capital Projects Fund for the MLK Community Center Gym Expansion totalling $1,150,096.