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Edwards field house will be built by local firm

Chris Outcalt
coutcalt@vaildaily.com
Edwards, CO Colorado

EDWARDS, Colorado ” Progress is being made on the field house planned for Edwards, Colorado at a time when several other construction projects in the county have slowed or halted.

The Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District recently hired a builder for the project and plans to start construction on the 30,000 square-foot field house in April.



RA Nelson, an Avon-based building company, was selected for the project. The company also built the Miller Ranch Community Center and is contracted to build the Eagle-Vail pool. Barker Rinker Seacat, the architecture firm that built the Gypsum Recreation Center, was also picked to work on the project.

“We’re really excited,” said Steve Russell, director of the recreation district. “We’ve got a pretty good team.”

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The 38,000 square-foot project ” which will be partially funded by the $4-million bond passed by voters in 2002 ” will have indoor volleyball and basketball courts, and soccer fields. The building would host children’s activities in the afternoon and adult leagues in the evening.

The county approved the leasing of the Miller Ranch land in Edwards for the field house in October.

Although other projects in the Vail Valley have stalled, plans for the field house keep moving forward because of the recreation districts timing, said Don Cohen, executive director of the Economic Council of Eagle County.

“The real key is they’ve got the money ” they know they can afford it,” Cohen said. “They’ll probably be able to achieve some more favorable construction, the (contractors) are hungry for sure.”

The economic recession has been beneficial to the project, Russell said.

“There were a lot of firms interested,” Russell said. “A year ago everyone was busy and we may have not gotten their sharpest proposals.”

A design of the $7 million project should be completed sometime in March, Russell said.

Jason Morley, pre-construction manager for RA Nelson, said is excited to work on a project that will benefit the community.

“We’re pretty heavily involved with community events and functions and this is kind of a way for us to give something back,” Morley said.

The county also approved funding for a sheriff substation to be built at the field house. The Sheriff’s Office will move out of the substation it now occupies on the Edwards Spur road.

“We’re excited about that,” Russell said. “It fits perfectly with what we do and they’ll be right there “we think it’ll be a great partnership.”

Staff Writer Chris Outcalt can be reached at 970-748-2931 or coutcalt@vaildaily.com.


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