By Melinda J. Overstreet / Glasgow News 1
Discussions are underway as to how to proceed with any new version Richardson Stadium in Gorin Park. The decades-old facility fell to an electrical fire in July.
Eddie Furlong, director of the Glasgow Parks and Recreation Department, provided an update on the subject Monday to the city council committee that oversees matters related to his department at a special meeting. He told the Planning and Development Committee that $246,768, after the $5,000 deductible, is the sum the Kentucky League of Cities has advised that the insurance settlement will pay. KLC provides the city’s insurance coverage, but it subcontracts property insurance to another agency, Collins & Company. The amount is significantly based on estimates the city had obtained for reconstruction costs. The figure was for “replacement as is” and demolition.
“That money’s not going to touch rebuilding Richardson, even to what it was,” Furlong said.
He added that Tuesday morning, he and Mayor Harold Armstrong were meeting with Glasgow Independent Schools Superintendent Chad Muhlenkamp and Glasgow High School’s baseball coach and designers from Alliance Corp. to discuss what GIS would like to see and “what their vision is.”
The question of the school system’s involvement in terms of financial contributions is also expected to be part of the agenda.
Furlong and Councilman Patrick Gaunce, almost in unison, said, “They need to,” in reference to receiving funding from GIS.
Lance Crimmins, the city’s safety and risk manager, was on hand as a guest and answered questions about the type of coverage and specified the settlement amount was meant to cover nothing different, nothing new.
Furlong said they can’t build it back exactly the way it was if for no other reason than building code changes would necessitate some differences.
Crimmins said he’s been told that if they ran into significant code issues, the insurance could possibly release more funds, but no dollar amount was discussed.
“If you’re talking about (Americans with Disabilities Act compliance), then you’re talking about a complete redesign of the whole building. I’m not sure they’re willing to go that far,” Crimmins said.
Councilman Terry Bunnell asked, “Eddie, do we know that, does Glasgow (school system) want to continue to play baseball there? Do we know that for a fact?”
Furlong said that’s what they plan on doing, based on conversations he’s had with some of the education officials, but he said they wouldn’t commit to how long.
Gaunce said he’s told Muhlenkamp that he recommends they get a lease and pay something for the use of the fields, which would provide them with some more authority over what happens there.
Committee Chairwoman Chasity Lowery, who is employed by GIS, said, “I think it’s only fair that they pay something.”
Furlong said that he is under the impression from discussions a few weeks ago that they plan to play there as long as the current coach, Sam Royse, is there.
“Now, beyond that, they wouldn’t commit to,” he said.
Gaunce brought up a lease again and said he would like to see it be for at least a three-year term, and he thinks GIS would still come out saving money over the cost of building a new field.
Bunnell asked Furlong whether he has some plans in his mind as to how he would want the facility built, and he said he met last week with Alliance’s designer, and ideas such as moving the entrance and bathrooms and making the concessions area a little bigger were suggested.
Bunnell said he’d like to see a lease of at least five years, because a lot of dollars and energy are going to be put into the project.
“As you meet with them, I’d like to see if there’s any other uses we could have at Richardson Field. Now, there may not be any at all. It may be a flat zero, but that’s OK, but we need to explore that to see if there’s any other usage we could get,” Bunnell said, adding that if GIS leases it, they may want to limit what happens there, and that could be 100 percent understandable.
The funds the city would receive from GIS could then be put back into park improvements, including bathrooms.
Furlong said whatever kind of agreement they would reach would probably have to go through the Kentucky Department of Education.
Bunnell asked about the possibility of moving the bathrooms immediately outside stadium fencing so they could be available for other events when the stadium is not open, and Furlong said that option has been part of the discussion already.
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