Some Fort Smith school building projects lagging

FORT SMITH — The Dec. 23 finish date is quickly approaching for the Fort Smith School District’s final Vision 2023 project, the Peak Innovation Center.

The School Board last week heard an update on the center and other projects, which are expected to be completed in early 2022. Those unfinished projects include the new arena at Northside High School, which had some board members complaining.

Shawn Shaffer, the district’s supervisor of facilities, said the contractor indicated that he’s still on track for a Dec. 23 finish date on the center. Shaffer told the board that he went to the site early last week, and there was still a lot of work to be completed.

The center is a collaboration with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and will host programs in advanced manufacturing, information technology and health sciences. It and the other Vision 2023 strategic plan projects were funded through a 5.558-mill property tax increase that voters approved in May of 2018, which generated roughly $121 million.

Smaller projects to complete under the vision project include the new entrance at Trusty Elementary School.

Shaffer said the ramp is poured, and the project will be completed in mid-January. The front door will not ship until the end of February, so the district will erect temporary doors, he said.

The final projects left to complete are related to the arena at Northside High School.

The arena accounted for roughly $14.5 million of the $37.8 million dedicated for projects at the school. It is expected to have about 2,350 seats, more than what the Arkansas Activities Association

requires to host state basketball tournaments in Class 6A.

Northside for now continues to play at the Kaundart-Grizzly Field House.