Masters Architecture, an Asheville firm working with Macon County Schools to help replace East Franklin School, returned to the Macon County Board of Education on its May 18 meeting to share options for building a new Highlands soccer field.
School board leadership expected a quote for the firm’s services, but instead they got four options for building a new soccer and track field.
Mark Masters and Rudi Skowronski presented the options, which consider on a basic level what the system could conceivably build at either Highlands School or Zachary Park. They stressed the cost estimates for each option could change and were only included to give a ballpark estimate.
Option A would leave the on-site soccer and track fields at Highland School but develop and install an Astroturf field. Skowronski said the option had a lot of potential for cost overrun but using an old Astroturf quote of $840,000 projected the project would cost approximately $2,001,600. Though the option would keep both soccer and track facilities on-site, Highlands School would still not have a regulation track.
Option B swaps the Highlands School track and soccer field, installing the field where the track currently sits and building a regulation track at the old field. Masters said this option would allow a developer to bypass many of the concerns coming from building a soccer field in a swamp while giving the school access to a 200-meter regulation track. However, a developer could not build a 300- or 400-meter track at the location. The option was estimated to cost $2.16 million, due in part to the added cost of moving both fields.
Option C.1 would relocate the soccer field to Zachary Park while leaving the track on-site at Highlands School. The option was by far the cheapest at $1.16 million but separates track and field sports at Highlands and still leaves Highlands School without a regulation field.
Option C.2 was by far the most expensive, coming in at $3.4 million to both build a field and 300-meter track at Zachary Park. This option would require the building of a retaining wall to ensure the full footprint will fit on site. The baseball field at the park would also need to be removed. A new concessions building would accompany each option.
Skowronski said the Astroturf was probably a good idea and all options were based on the quote, but if the school went with a natural field the cost could drop to $420,000, rather than $840,000 per quote.
Board member Hilary Wilkes asked what the next step would be if the board wanted to get a detailed plan and put it out for bids. Masters said the firm would need to collect a lot more information for each stage of the project. The firm will bill for $7,200 for the work which went into coming up with options. MCS attorney John Henning said the board may need to put out a request for a quote for a project of this type.
Board chair Jim Breedlove said the board would review the options and reach back out to Masters.
The Board of Education’s next meeting with take place on June 30, at 6 p.m. at the Macon County Schools Administrative Offices.