REV nears finish; logo goes high

The REV Sports Complex is going to be getting paved parking lots and more safety netting, while the water tower on the east end of Decatur will be getting a new paint job and a Bellmont High School logo – all as a result of action taken by city council at its Tuesday night meeting.

Council approved the expenditure of $150,000 for additional netting in the areas of the ball diamonds and approximately $300,000 to pave and line the two parking lots.

The funds are coming from the little over $1 million the city is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

City Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert said the paving could begin soon. Some smaller enhancements have already been made on the lots. Wane Asphalt of Fort Wayne is doing the work.

Last year, with the complex being used fulltime for the first time, the scrambly parking on the stone lots brought major safety concerns to city officials.

At its previous meeting, council approved the expenditure of $13,000 to have Innovative Concepts install a sound system, with speakers at each end of the complex.

Gilbert said the new netting may be installed any time between now and August.

Once the netting is in, “that will basically complete the ( REV Sports Complex) project, except for lighting,” Gilbert noted.

With the lengthy daylight this time of year, lights aren’t considered a priority. It has been estimated that to do two fields, one on each end of the complex, would cost $240,000. To light all six diamonds would require an outlay of approximately $720,000. Towering logo

The board of works awarded a contract to LC United Painting to paint the city’s eastside water. LC’s bid of $127,000 was low among six bidders. Assistant Water Superintendent Bill Carpenter and a representative of Dixon Consultants recommended going with LC.

The water tower will get a new color scheme and a BHS logo to face west, toward the North Adams campus, Mayor Dan Rickord said adding: “We’re pretty excited about this.”

The project could begin as soon as June or as late as August.

The water tower was built in 2007 by the Isch Administration. The city’s other two water towers are on Line St. and on the city’s swimming pool block.