A few weeks after the old pavilion was removed, construction workers have started erecting a new pavilion at Melton Lake Park.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has hired Rich Construction of Lenoir City to build the 2,300-square-foot pavilion at the Oak Ridge Marina.

The pavilion is in the same spot as the old 880-square-foot picnic shelter that was between the playground and the Melton Lake Greenway. The picnic shelter was torn down in late September.

The $159,000 pavilion could be used for rowing and community events. The Oak Ridge City Council awarded a construction contract for it in May.

It’s the second major step in a waterfront development plan approved by City Council in December 2009. The first was the paving of the parking lot at Elza Gate Park.

Rich Construction began site work for the new pavilion in early October. The pavilion itself has arrived and is now under construction on the city’s waterfront, offering “exceptional views of Melton Hill Lake and the Oak Ridge rowing course,” a city press release said.

Construction could be completed sometime in late November, depending upon the weather, the press release said.

The city asked the public to use caution in the park while the pavilion is under construction.

The hexagonal, prefabricated picnic pavilion will include a metal roof, ceiling lighting, and a low stone wall with electrical outlets. It’s designed to serve as a “signature facility” that sets the theme for future waterfront development.

Funding for the proposed pavilion comes from a $140,000 donation from UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and from savings that result from staff turnover in the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, the city staff said.

The park is used by rowers, runners, walkers, bikers, and families.

For more information, contact the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.