Published: October 07, 2008 09:04 am      

Realignment of utilities delays bidding for Ridgeley Community Center

Shell building planned on grounds of former school

RIDGELEY, W.Va. — Due to utility realignments in plans for the new Ridgeley Community Center, bids for construction of the project have not been opened to the public.

According to Ridgeley Mayor Rick Lechliter, there were some questions with the sewage hook-ups and electrical wiring in the project that would require all bidders to go back and rework the paperwork for bids.

This can take at least two weeks for the companies to do, Lechliter said, so there is no definite rescheduled date for the opening of the bids.

Original plans for the project were to renovate the former Ridgeley High School for the use as a community center, with costs around $2 million and a state Small Cities Block Grant of only $500,000.

Without the funding to renovate the school, a 5,000-square-foot shell building will be constructed instead. It has been designed and engineered by Alpha Engineering Group of Morgantown. The building will be on the old basketball courts in front of the school and will have rest rooms and be handicapped-accessible. The tennis courts will stay intact.

Possible uses discussed for the building when the grant was obtained were after-school study halls and sports programs, adult education classes, concerts and a large, modern meeting space. A satellite library also was mentioned and commercial space for the business community.