Tupelo officials continue to flesh out Dot Cooper Kelly renovation project
TUPELO — Following the recent construction of a dozen pickleball courts at a popular Tupelo public park, city officials hope to upgrade the accompanying building to compliment the courts.
Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis gave an update on the proposed upgrades to the Dot Cooper Kelly Park building, with officials expecting the budget needing a $400,000 amendment to follow the current design. The project, which began as a simple renovation to the building’s bathrooms, has gradually broadened in scope.
“There was a feeling … we needed to do something more to the facility that is used by other people,” Lewis said, referring to the recently completed $1.3 million project for 12 fenced and lighted pickleball courts at Dot Cooper Kelly Park in January. “We want to go ahead and get the project started.”
Tupelo-based firm Architecture South has completed their preliminary design of the project.
Work has been divided into two phases. The first focuses on most of the building’s exterior and the bathrooms. The second phase will complete renovating the remaining two rooms.
Phase I includes a facelift to the building's exterior, including painting the outside of the building, adding a new facade with bricks and modernized lighting for the entrance, new windows, roof repairs, new gutter work and wheelchair ramps. Inside, the city will renovate the restrooms, lobby and janitors’ storage room, as well as a “pickleball lounge.” The lounge, Lewis said, will act as a central place for tournament organization. Renovations also include plumbing, mechanical and electrical updates.
Lewis noted the restrooms will be accessible from outside the building.
Phase II will include even more renovations to the office, storage, tutoring and activity rooms, additional electrical upgrades for those rooms and extensive updates to the concession room.
The city estimates the first phase will cost $555,175. The second phase has a price tag of around $332,000, leading to a total project cost across both phases to $985,325.
Previously, officials noted that Tennessee Valley Authority will provide a $75,000 grant for the project’s lighting upgrades, but Lewis said the council will still likely need to approve a $400,000 budget amendment to the capital plan for the project.
Chief Financial Officer Kim Hanna said the funding can come through the extra money raised in the $12 million general obligation bond issue the city secured earlier this year, noting it had an excess of $1.3 million. She said some of the extra revenue has been allocated in other projects, but there is still $809,000 in unallocated money to be spent.
“If you want to allocate $400,000 of this money to the Dot Cooper Kelly … we believe we will have enough … but it appears we will have to allocate an addition $400,000 to the Dot Cooper Kelly project,” Hanna said.
While Lewis noted this was the council’s first chance to shoot down the project, no vote is necessary until the council votes to approve the bids and amendment.
Lewis said Tuesday that the city hopes to take the project to bid by the end of the month.
After the discussion, Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis asked about progress on the pavilion and restroom project at Gum Tree Park, noting that she had seen no movement yet from contractors.
“I just want to see some dirt move down there,” she said. “It looks like it is taking so long.”
Lewis noted he didn’t know the exact starting date for the project and that they were working through the process as of Monday.
Parks and Recreation Director Alex Farned said Wednesday the city ordered the prefabricated equipment for the projects at Gum Tree and Hancock Park, both for restroom renovation and a pavilion instillation. There is no concrete date set for construction, he added.
