The Corey L. Moore Sports and Recreation Complex in Clarksdale took another step towards becoming reality Thursday when the lead contractor on the project, CORE Construction, hosted a subcontractor fair.
Thirty-five people representing 24 different subcontractors attended the fair held at the Shack Up Inn’s Juke Joint Chapel, located not far from where the proposed sports and recreation complex will be built near the intersection of the Highway 61 bypass and Highway 49 (Desoto Avenue). The overall property includes 109 acres as the complex will be built on 77 of those acres.
The one question constantly asked by subcontractors was whether the complex will come to fruition, said Tanner Broughton, director of preconstruction with CORE Construction.
“I was surprised by that, honestly,” Broughton said, “because where we are in the process, it’s going to be a go.”
Broughton said CORE Construction has worked with Clarksdale native and lead developer Dwan “Dee” Brown’s P3 Group on a number of jobs. The Clarksdale complex will be funded through a mix of private investors and public monies.
“This type of public-private partnership just works great where we get to be part of the design team,” Broughton said. “The reason we’re up here … CORE is a family-based company and we realize how important it is to Clarksdale.”
He said during the three days his team was in Clarksdale they had heard nothing but excitement about the project and what an economic jolt the complex could provide to this area.
“We’d like to build it just as it is right now, but it’s all about the budget. You’ve got to hit that budget,” Broughton said. “But I feel that even if we don’t hit it, we can find the right number and work to it. It’s a design-build. We can make the changes to the documents and get it within budget so that it’s a go.”
Brown said in September that he believes the complex will create 200 jobs with 100 of those being permanent, full-time positions. The part-time jobs will be used to staff the tournaments taking place on five synthetic-turf athletic fields, as well as a water park.
Part of the job numbers would include the hiring of local subcontractors to do the work.
“We’ve had bids coming in from all over, but we want to be here,” said Broughton.
“We know the job itself will help the community, but we want the project, the construction of it, to help as well. To bring in a lot of contractors from out of town isn’t going to help anybody. We want to hire local.”
The type of subcontractors they are looking to partner with include those specializing in electrical, mechanical and structural work, as well as painting, framing, glasswork, roofing and site preparation.
One of those at Thursday’s fair was Clarksdale native Will McNeer, who formerly worked as the assistant director of the city’s parks and recreation department. He said the complex is something Clarksdale needs.
“Run properly, it could definitely make an economic impact in this community,” said McNeer, who is a sales associate with Bliss Products, a Hernando-based company that specializes in things such as playgrounds, shelters, grills, bleachers and site furnishings.
And there was a healthy mix and not a lot of overlap in the specialties of companies in attendance at Thursday’s fair, said Brooke Morris, a CORE Construction team member and native of Clarksdale.
Broughton said it was important for his company to come visit the community before work starts.
“There’s been genuine excitement from everybody that we met with,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a successful job.”
The companies were asked to submit their bids to CORE Construction by Jan. 15. About a week later, Broughton said they should be able to issue the owner a GMP (guaranteed maximum price) for the job.
He said they anticipate construction starting in May. It will take approximately 18 months to finish the project, meaning the Corey L. Moore Sports and Recreation Complex could be open by the end of 2020.
“This is a model we are starting to see a lot,” Broughton said. “Travel ball has become such a big thing. With developments like this, the travel ball generates its own revenue. It’s a great model. You see it successful all over. It’s become huge.”
The complex will consist of a Best Western GLo hotel that will stand 70-feet tall. It will be a full-service hotel offering 100 rooms, as well as a restaurant and bar. The hotel will be connected to a 17,000-square-foot conference center that will feature four ballrooms to attract meetings and special events.
There will be a 5-acre water park and a fast-food restaurant will be located nearby.
All of those items are part of the private portion of the public-private partnership and are “being paid for by private monies,” Brown said in a meeting in September.
The public portion of the project, which has been estimated by Brown at $13 million, involves the construction of five synthetic-turf athletic fields that will be used to host traveling baseball tournaments and other athletic events.
There will also be a solar farm constructed at the complex and public monies will be used to build the infrastructure (streets, utilities, sidewalks, etc.) at the complex. The public portion of the project will be funded in large part by urban renewal agency bonds.
