By William C. Singleton III
Hoover city officials are moving ahead with building a multimillion-dollar sports complex, even if it may cost more than originally thought.
In early June, city officials broke ground on a proposed new indoor sports complex to be located next to the Hoover Met Stadium. The facility is to include an indoor sports center with regulation-size basketball and volleyball courts, booths for trade shows, a performance center, food court, walking track and other recreational amenities.
The outdoor portion of the complex is to include football, lacrosse and soccer fields, baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, a walking track, playground and pro shop. The RV park at the Hoover Met and the Hoover Met parking area also will be expanded to accommodate the new sports complex.
But the facility is expected to cost more than the $70 million city officials had estimated. In late June, the city agreed to borrow up to $76 million to build the new complex.
Hoover Executive Director of Operations Allen Pate said the city wants to take advantage of favorable interest rates but also hopes the project comes under budget.
Part of the reason the budget has increased is that the facility has expanded from 141,000 square feet to 155,000 square feet, Pate said. The new figure also includes $3.3 million of unexpected contingency costs, he added.
However, everyone wasn’t receptive to borrowing more money for the project. In the 3-2 vote, council members John Lyda and John Greene voted against the additional funds. Greene has been against the project from the beginning, saying he’s uncertain about spending such a large amount with the city’s school system in need of funds.
Lyda said he has supported the project from the beginning but is concerned about spending even more money.
“I still think this is an outstanding project for the city of Hoover,” he said. “My concerns are around the amount of money we’re borrowing. Governments at all levels are known for overspending on everything from day-to-day projects to operating costs, and the city of Hoover has never done that, and I don’t think we need to start.”
Lyda also said any additional expenses could have been handled by change orders.
With the recent announcement that the SEC baseball tournament will remain in Hoover, Hoover city officials hope the indoor sports complex is finished by May 2017, in time for the next SEC baseball tournament. The outdoor facility is expected to be finished in February 2018.
Mayor Gary Ivey said the proposed sports complex won Hoover the bid over five other cities.
“This is something unique we had to offer that nobody else did,” he said.
