Robbinsville – If it feels like deja vu, that’s because it is.
Just 10 months after Graham County first selected the property next to its current administrative building off Knight Street as the site for a long-discussed justice center – only to pull out of the deal when negotiations stalled in February – the boards of commissioners and education put pen to paper during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
The $2 million deal calls for Graham County to purchase 3.4 acres of land – which will encompass the current location of a playground and the former Robbinsville High School baseball field. The funds will be allocated evenly, with $1 million going toward renovation of the home seating area at Modeal Walsh Memorial (Big Oaks) Stadium – including the installation of new, permanent bleachers and bring the facility into full ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance – and the other $1 million to Graham County Schools’ capital projects fund.
In short, the contract is a win-win.
“This is a really exciting thing,” said Assistant Superintendent David Matheson, who presented the news at Tuesday’s meeting. “It gives the commissioners the opportunity to have the land set aside for a new justice center and it also gives us some capital that we’re going to need over the next few years.”
“This will help us and I appreciate that, but I also hope this will help the taxpayers,” added Superintendent Robert Moody. “Our main goals are the kids and taxpayers; they’re both winners from this deal.”
County Finance Officer Stacy Carpenter told The Graham Star that the county is utilizing a pair of grants from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, to purchase the land. The restricted funds total $7 million.
Additionally, Graham County still has the ¼-cent sales tax referendum to fall back on during the construction of the justice center. The measure passed on the 2018 ballot and as of May 31, has brought in $1,696,983.
“On behalf of the board of commissioners, I will say I feel so blessed to be here today,” Commission Chair Meggan Smith told The Star after the meeting. “It feels great to be working together with the Graham County Board of Education to reach this deal that will benefit our community.
“We will now be able to move forward together focusing on making this county better for our citizens and children.”
Graham County Schools plans to meet with Asheville architectural firm LS3P on Aug. 14 to discuss the stadium renovations. Matheson noted that LS3P already has plans designed.
“The renovation is desperately needed,” Matheson said. “Right now, they’re putting up the rental bleachers. This is the third season that we’ve had them – and it will be the last one.”
Other news & notes
* Matheson also provided updates on the construction of a new Robbinsville Elementary School. He said that Knoxville-based Cove Architecture has completed the schematic drawings for the new institution, which will be housed on the same campus as the current Robbinsville Middle/High School. The drawings have been sent to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for approval.
Additionally, Hickory (N.C.) Construction reached an agreement with the district to serve as the CMAR (Construction Manager At-Risk) for the project. The company will receive $300,000 in pre-construction fees and a 4.25% fee during the building of the facility itself. Matheson said that negotiating with Hickory Construction saved Graham County Schools around $150,000 from the beginning of the process.
The construction manager at-risk is defined as a “project delivery method where the owner hires a construction manager to oversee the project from start to finish, acting as both a consultant during the design phase and the general contractor during construction.”
* The new Graham County School Resource Officers were introduced during the meeting. As part of the district’s collaboration with the sheriff’s office, Matt Cox will serve at the middle/high school and Jacob Bridgers will be stationed at Robbinsville Elementary School.