24 Jan Top 5 questions about Building a Sports Facility
1. How much does it cost to build a new sports facility? The investment in a sports venue for your high school, university, or community is considerable. While there are many variables that affect the ultimate pricetag, you can expect it to be a multi-million dollar initiative. It is not unusual for such a project to be implemented in phases as budgets permit.
2. What should be on my checklist to consider? Considerations for your sports facility include the types of surfaces needed, safety measures, lighting, spectator capacity, accessibility, and parking. Structures like grandstands and scoreboards and outbuildings such as a fieldhouse, locker rooms, bathrooms, concession area, and equipment storage also factor in significantly.
3. What should I look for in a contractor? The contractor you select to design and build your facility must have experience with this type of specialty construction. The nuances of sports construction are different from office building and residential construction. Referrals and testimonials from peer schools and neighboring communities are a great source of information. Find out what went well and what didn’t go so well. Knowing what “gotchas” to look out for is as valuable as knowing how well things went according to plan. And, you want to be sure your contractor has appropriate insurance coverage and a license and registration as a commercial construction company.
4. What environmental conditions need to be considered? Climate, rainfall intensities, and severe weather patterns all play a part in the design, safety, and installation of fields and structures. You’ll want access to engineering experts who understand the soil and hydrology to properly tailor your site’s design. For example, soil properties and draining requirements are especially important if your venue is in a flood plain.
5. What building regulations need to be considered? The location of the venue may come with zoning concerns. Submitting plans and establishing an open line of communication with the municipality’s planning committee or review board early in the process can help the project advance smoothly throughout.