Pavilion project progresses; EWU lane awaits bids

The Department of Public Works is continuing to plug away at three projects that are expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

Like many other city projects, construction on a new pavilion in the area of North West Avenue and Fifth Street has been hampered by rain, Robert Edmonds, director of public works has said.

In an update Wednesday, Edmonds and James Lewis, assistant street superintendent, reported that work has largely been completed on the concrete pad that has been laid for the Frank Hash Pavilion, which is going up in the southeast corner of the rear TAC House parking lot.

Named after the former El Dorado mayor and Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer’s immediate predecessor, the pavilion is expected to be up by the time football season begins for local high schools and the Murphy USA Classic, which features a football game between teams in the Great American Conference.

The classic was canceled last year, along with the Great American Conference schedule, due to the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic.

The L-shaped pavilion will come with hip-roofed framing, LED lighting, freeze-proof water fountains, fans and self-draining farmhouse sinks.

In addition to tailgating, Hash and city council members have said the pavilion could be reserved for special events,

including fundraisers, farmers’ and flea markets and other activities that are held at Memorial Stadium, the TAC House and Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, all of which are adjacent to the site.

The project is being funded by the El Dorado Works initiative, a onecent, city sales tax that is earmarked for economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life project.

During an El Dorado Water and Public Works Board meeting Wednesday, Edmonds and Lewis said Mattox Construction, who was awarded the $194,702 bid for the contract, has a little more work to do on the concrete pad.

Edmonds said piers will come next and more dirtwork before the pavilion will be erected from a kit.

Work has yet to begin on projects to build a new city dog pound and a second drive-through window for the El Dorado Water Utilities.

Property has been purchased for the EWU project and the city is still awaiting word about a proposed lease from the donor of property for the dog pound.

In April, the city EWPWB agreed to pay $150,000 to purchase property on the north side of EWU office to use as additional office space and another drivethrough lane for water bill payments.

The property, located at 512 N. Washington, is about a third of an acre and comes with a 1,561-square-foot office building.

Edmonds said in June that the $150,000 payment had been delivered and now the city was awaiting the title guaranty and the closing process.

He said Wednesday that the sale closed two weeks ago and the city granted former owner Larry Holder an extension to finish moving items from the property.

“Didn’t we get possession upon closing?” City Council Member Billy Blann asked.

“He asked for additional time to move some of his records. He’s still got some stuff he needs to get out there so in two weeks, it should be empty,” Edmonds said, adding that the project will soon be ready to go to bid.

Edmonds said a 90-day contract will be let for the project but the work should not take any longer than 45 days to complete.

He reiterated that inclement weather has been a factor in the stall of several city projects this year.

City officials have said the biggest component of the drive-through project is the relocation of an existing wastewater line.

The additional drivethrough window is expected to help alleviate traffic backups that often occur during certain periods each month at the EWU office.

In other business, Edmonds also said the city is waiting on LANXESS to clear up some verbiage in a proposal to lease to the city two acres of land at the intersection of U.S 82 and South West Avenue/ Southfield Road.

The draft proposal calls for a 99-year lease at a nominal fee for the city, which is updating and relocating the dog pound from the City Shop on Martin Luther King Boulevard, just south of East Hillsboro.

In 2018, the city council dedicated $22,907 from the city’s reserve coffers to build a new dog pound and with additional funding from the public works’ budget, Edmonds has said about $40,000 is available for the project.

The search for a suitable location for the new pound took three years and earlier this year, Edmonds informed council members about the offer from LANXESS.

The new site will allow for expansion, including the addition of more pens to house dogs, and heavy traffic flow and high visibility in the area will help to curb break-ins and dog thefts, a re-occurring problem at the existing pound, Edmonds explained.

He told city council members that the project should be ready to bid in early August.