The track at TES will become a new practice and competition facility for the high school track and field program

Moving forward with athletic improvements

By Leigh Anne Butler

The Tallassee City School System is preparing for two athletic facility projects that are expected be completed before the beginning of the next school year.

Adding prescription turf to the practice field at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien stadium is slated to start in October with returfing of the playing field to begin after the football season. A new competition track will be located at Tallassee Elementary School.

The Elmore County Commission and Elmore County Economic Development Authority are funding the $2.2 million turf project through tax dollars raised from lodging taxes. The playing field is used for football, soccer and flag football.

Nolin

“The county commission awarded the bid for the turf material,” Dr. Brock Nolin, superintendent of Tallassee City Schools detailed. “They haven’t done the package for the earth work and dirt moving yet but once that is in executed, we’re looking at probably next month getting the practice side of the project going.

“The turf product was $670,000, just for the surface material. That does not include earth work and excavating. We’re estimating about another $1.2 million for that, putting us somewhere in the $2.1/$2.2 million range. I’m not complaining. They are willing to put forth the funds for it. It’s one of those things; we’ll take it.”

An upgraded track facility is expected to begin in the spring at the existing track/playground at Tallassee Elementary School.

“We were able to get some money from the state this year; $1.4 million,” Nolin explained. “That’s the base money for getting the track done. The architects feel good about getting the bid package out and start advertising it so hopefully in the next month we’ll have that ready to go.

“This is something we’ve had in the capital plan for a long time,” Nolin continued. “We have lots of athletes participating in track and they’ve never had anywhere to actually practice. We’ve done really well (in track) considering we have no facility. They are the one group of athletes that literally have nothing other than a piece of asphalt at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium.”

The natural grass at J.E. "Hot" O'Brien Stadium will be replaced with artificial turf after the season. Photo by Kyle Thornton

The new track will be a multi-use facility. During the day, approximately 600 elementary students will benefit from the new track during their P.E. classes. In the afternoon and evening, the track and field team will utilize it for practice.

“We have this project packaged as a base bid of the track and the surface. We have an alternate with a set of bathrooms and then a second alternate that would also include lights. It’s kind of like building a house; you put on there what you want and then see where the bids come in and see what you have to take off to get within budget.”