Oak Ridge Today

Council approves $548,350 contract for eighth rowing lane

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Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a $548,350 contract to add an eighth lane to the city’s rowing course in a 6-0 vote during a brief special meeting Tuesday.

The contract will be awarded to First Place Finish Incorporated. The work will include a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

The six Council members who were present voted “yes.” Council member Trina Baughn was absent.

More details about the project are included in this special meeting agenda.

Funding for the eighth lane project comes from several sources, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in a September 2 memo to City Council. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has allocated $250,000 for the project. The city’s Capital Improvements Program, or CIP, has budgeted $585,000 for the project, with the city’s share being $185,000.

Other sources of funding include: [Read more…]

Council to consider $548,350 contract for eighth rowing lane

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Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

On Tuesday, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a $548,350 contract to add an eighth lane to the city’s rowing course on the Clinch River.

Council will consider the contract, which would be awarded to First Place Finish Incorporated, at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 6, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The work would include a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

Funding for the project comes from several sources, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in a September 2 memo to City Council. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has allocated $250,000 for the project. The city’s Capital Improvements Program, or CIP, has budgeted $585,000 for the project, with the city’s share being $185,000.

Other sources of funding include: [Read more…]

Council to consider rejecting bids for eighth rowing lane

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Two bids to add an eighth lane to the Oak Ridge rowing course came in much higher than city officials were prepared to spend, and City Council will consider rejecting the bids during a meeting on Monday, June 13, 2016. Above, officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The city has received two bids on a project to add an eighth rowing lane at the Oak Ridge Marina, and both were significantly higher than what city officials were prepared to spend. So, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider rejecting the two bids during its meeting tonight (Monday, June 13).

The city has received a $250,000 state grant for the proposed eighth lane. The city planned to contribute $150,000, and City Manager Mark Watson had solicited more money from other agencies that would benefit from the rowing course improvements. That meant there was enough money available to fund a project of about $560,000, which is close to a targeted estimate that Watson gave City Council members in March.

But since then, the city has received two bids. The high bid of $2.14 million was from Wright Brothers Construction. The low bid of $1.74 million was from Simpson Construction.

Both bids are “totally out of line with projected estimates,” Watson said in a June 8 memo to City Council. [Read more…]

Eighth rowing lane could cost more than $500,000, up to about $1.2 million

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Twelve of the nation’s best NCAA Division I women’s rowing teams competed this month in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge. Pictured above, a West Virginia University team competes at Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The eighth lane would require some work along the Melton Lake Drive side of the course, which is on the right side of this picture. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

An eighth lane at the seven-lane Oak Ridge rowing course could cost more than $500,000 and up to about $1.2 million, officials said Tuesday.

The eighth lane has been on the wish list of rowers and many local officials for years. They say it would allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas, which require an eighth lane. It would also keep the site a top-tier rowing venue and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the eighth lane in April 2015.

In August, the city hired Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon Inc. for design and survey work, among other tasks.

A March 1 memo from BWSC to Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director, outlines five construction options with various estimates of probable costs ranging between $543,771 and $1,162,444. The five estimated construction costs include a 20 percent contingency. All five options would include a retaining wall and earthwork, which would include excavation and dredging. [Read more…]

Geotechnical testing for eighth lane on Oak Ridge rowing course starts next week

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USRowing Club Nationals

Racing in the USRowing Club National Championships in Oak Ridge on Saturday, July 19, 2014, consisted of heats and semifinals setting up the second round of finals on Sunday, July 20. (Photo by USRowing)

 

An engineering company will start geotechnical testing next week along Melton Lake Greenway for the installation of an eighth rowing lane, officials said Thursday.

Work will be done by Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc. engineering, the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department said. The testing is scheduled to begin Monday, October 12, and be complete on Friday, October 16, weather permitting.

The testing areas will be concentrated between Palisades Parkway and Amanda Drive, a press release said. During the geotechnical testing process, the use of Melton Lake Greenway may be disrupted. [Read more…]

Two designs for Peace Pavilion for Friendship Bell to be presented Aug. 13

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International Friendship Bell

The International Friendship Bell is pictured above at Alvin K. Bissell Park before its housing structure was dismantled after the wood pavilion deteriorated. (Photo courtesy Peace Bell/Facebook)

 

The Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell has become an iconic symbol of Oak Ridge and a source of much pride. The bell is in need of a new home, and the community is invited to participate in planning for a new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, August 13, at the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and the Youth Advisory Board are hosting this community input session, where two proposed designs for a new pavilion will be presented. The board wants to hear opinions from the community, which will be important in determining the pavilion’s design. The International Friendship Bell Advisory Committee supports the designs and will assist with the community input session and fundraising for the pavilion.

A monument to peace and friendship with Japan, the bell was designed and cast to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the City of Oak Ridge. The bell was removed last year from the original wood pavilion, which had deteriorated after housing the bell for nearly 20 years in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The need for a new pavilion allows for a new expression of the bell and its place in Oak Ridge.

The new designs being considered surround the bell with open space and a greatly enlarged plaza. A community gathering place is envisioned, with an open design that invites large groups to gather at the bell. [Read more…]