LAWTON – The Lawton Youth Sports Trust Authority is seeking a company interested in representing the authority on the as-yet-unbuilt indoor youth sports complex.
The board voted June 13 to authorize the facilities committee to issue a request for qualifications from companies that could perform that task for the sports complex. The committee would also negotiate contract terms with the applicants, which would be approved by the authority.
The authority needs a consultant who can help the board find the right design, construction and equipment procurement firms for the project and ensure the board meets all state requirements where tax dollars are concerned, said Chairman Brian Henry.
“They’re going to serve as our owner rep in negotiating all the professional services that fall under that,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
Henry said the authority will issue an RFQ, and any interested companies will respond with their qualifications. Authority members will interview those companies and, if more than one company has the right qualifications, the authority will ask both candidates to submit proposals based on the scope of services.
The authority is planning to build the sports complex on approximately 85 acres of land on the southwest corner of East Gore Boulevard and Southeast 45th Street, south of MacArthur High School. Sports complex funding The city’s 2019 Capital Improvement Improvements Plan, also known as PROPEL, earmarked up to $8 million for construction of the sports complex. That $8 million came out of the $20 million that was set aside for the Parks and Recreation Department.
However, officials are now estimating that the project will cost around $30 million, due to inflation and the rising cost of materials.
The current CIP sales tax is set to expire in 2034, but city officials have proposed extending it through 2040. The extension would renew the existing 2.125% tax for another six years but not raise it.
If voters approve the extension, the language about earmarking approximately $8 million for the sports complex would be taken out of the new CIP, Henry said.
“And then, (Lawton City) Council would decide if and when and how much we could be allotted of that,” he said.
Henry said if the measure does not pass,, the language would revert back to the original CIP.
Voters will decide Aug. 27 whether they want to keep the CIP sales tax in place until 2040. Other business In other business, the authority accepted a $600 donation on behalf of PlayOn, the nonprofit component of the youth sports program PlayLawton. PlayLawton is operated by Eastern Sports Management, which has contracted with the authority to manage the city’s youth sports programs.
Funds for the donation were generated by Native Naturals, a natural body-building contest hosted by Mandy Johnson of Fierce Fitness, city officials said in a post on the city ’s website. Several local gyms, including Fierce Fitness, Unrivaled Barbell and Gramz Fitness, contributed to the donation.
PlayOn will award scholarships to children who could not otherwise afford entry fees for league play, city officials said. Scholarships are expected to be granted for the next round of sign-ups in August.
In the meantime, families can visit https://www. playlawton.com/youth to learn more about the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation’s efforts to cover the cost of entry fees, officials said.