By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
The village of Urbancrest is one step closer to getting their first enclosed shelter house.
At the Aug. 4 meeting, the village council heard from Brian Coghlan, the vice president of the engineering and surveying firm Bird and Bull, about the progress they are making to bring the enclosed shelter house to the community.
According to Coghlan, the project bids will go out at the start of 2016.
“I believe January will provide us with the perfect opportunity to get the most competitive bids,” he said.
If all goes well and the village accepts a bid that meets their criteria both aesthetically and financially, the construction could get underway as soon as April.
The village residents have been wanting an enclosed shelter house for quite some time.
Family gatherings are a popular summer activity for many in the community and some have expressed dissatisfaction with having to travel far outside of the village for a place to celebrate birthdays, weddings and reunions.
Mayor Joseph Barnes Sr. said having an enclosed shelter house within the village will accommodate their needs.
Coghlan said some of the amenities that will come with the enclosed shelter house are a catering style kitchen, separate bathroom facilities, HVAC and a security system. A parking lot will be added to the grounds.
Brent Foley, an architect with Triad Architects, said they went with the catering style kitchen rather than a full commercial kitchen to lower the cost of the project.
“People will still be able to do meal preparation and keep it warm (or chilled)” he said.
Due to its location, which will be behind the Union Baptist Church on First Avenue, near to the YMCA and the municipal hall, water and sanitary service lines will have to be extended to the location. Coghlan said it will be powered by electric rather than natural gas.
Coghlan also added that something will have to be done to manage the storm water runoff in the area. A rain garden was suggested as an inexpensive alternative to improve the runoff.
The entire project is estimated at $860,000. Coghlan said the enclosed shelter house, which would look similar to the Eagle Pavilion at Fryer Park in Grove City, would take at least three months to complete once construction begins.
