JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The Board of Mayor & Commissioners has approved the redrawing and rebidding of blueprints for the renovation of South Pittsburg’s National Guard Armory.
Discussions about renovating the town’s armory have been ongoing for some time. Earlier this month, the City Board held a workshop to explore the next steps for moving the project forward. During that session, City Administrator Michael Hudson proposed meeting with the project architect to create revised blueprints that would help reduce renovation costs.
At the most recent public meeting, Hudson restated the proposal, requesting formal approval to meet with the architect and begin redrawing the plans.
Commissioner Mike Allen voiced concern over the potential cost of having the blueprints redrawn, estimating it could total between $150,000 and $200,000—an expense he hoped the city could avoid. Hudson responded that he did not believe the charges would be that high, though he acknowledged he could not guarantee the exact amount the architect would request.
Retired architect Bill Neyland also spoke, noting that despite plans to incorporate Volunteer Behavioral Health’s new health center into the facility, the changes required should not be extensive. Neyland explained that the architect could likely reduce the design by around 2,500 square feet to accommodate the addition.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the proposal. The project will move to the rebidding phase once the revised blueprints are completed and reviewed.
