The Siloam Springs School District is ready to move forward on the sports complex project.
During a school board meeting March 9, the board voted unanimously to move forward with the process of negotiating and planning with Mammoth Construction.
A search committee made up of district officials met with two firms earlier this month, ultimately deciding on Mammoth.
In the past, Mammoth has worked on projects across the country, including the baseball and softball complex facilities for the Rogers School District.
In addition, they've also worked with some notable universities, doing turf replacement and facility improvements for Kansas State University and building the outdoor athletics complex for Ottawa University.
The project has been split into two phases; phase one, which includes replacing the turf on the football field, and phase two, which includes constructing eight tennis courts, a softball field and a baseball field.
Construction will work around sports, with the goal of having the turf replacement and facility construction done in time for respective seasons.
Superintendent Jody Wiggins says that the sports complex has been on the horizon for quite some time, and the new project should improve the district's independence.
"One portion of the long range plan when we built the new high school was to gradually add athletic facilities around it to support our students and programs," said Wiggins.
"The school district has not had its own baseball field, softball field or tennis courts in the past. We have been dependent on other entities to provide the facilities to support our athletic teams in these areas," added Wiggins.
A budget of $6 million has been provided for the entire project, including a new baseball stadium with synthetic turf, a new softball stadium with synthetic turf, eight new competition tennis courts, resurfacing the existing football field, concessions and bathroom building, lighting, bleachers, scoreboards, dugouts and hitting cages.
"I just can't say how impressed I was with Mammoth," said school board member Chris Whorton, who served on the search committee that selected Mammoth for the project. "They just felt like Siloam; they appealed to us. We went and looked at their turfs, and it was top notch."
"I'm excited about the project," added Whorton. "This is something I think our school and our community will be proud of."
The project is set to start within the next few months, and should be finished by February 2024.
Courtesy of SSSD A rendering of phase one of the sports complex project for the Siloam Springs School District, which shows the area of turf on the football field which is to be replaced. Phase one will be the first part of the project to be started and completed.
Courtesy of SSSD An aerial rendering of phase two of the new sports complex for the Siloam Springs School District, which shows the eight tennis courts, the baseball field and the softball field.
Courtesy of SSSD A rendering shows the front of the new sports complex for the Siloam Springs School District, showcasing the tennis courts and softball and baseball fields, in addition to the a small "plaza" just past the entrance.