Weather a challenge for Trussville stadium project
By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — Mother Nature continues to call audibles on the Hewitt-Trussville Stadium project.
As of last Thursday, Trussville-based Blalock Building Company had been on the job for 296 days. Of those, 92 days — or 31 percent — have been delayed due to inclement weather, according to National Weather Service records, said Blalock Building Company President Steven Blalock.
The site of Hewitt-Trussville Stadium after some rain last month
photo by Gary Lloyd
“The stadium has presented its challenges with weather this year,” Blalock said in an email.
The Trussville City Board of Education last July approved Blalock Building Company to build Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, the new football stadium to be located behind the Trussville Civic Center.
The Trussville-based building company was revealed as the project’s low bidder last year, with an adjusted base bid — after a $240,000 deduct — of $13,353,900. After six alternate bids for aspects of the project — precast concrete visitor seating, multipurpose field lighting package and overflow parking, kitchen equipment upgrade for the visitor concession, precast concrete for a home side and visitor side expansion and soccer concessions/restroom building — Blalock’s bid totaled $14,626,550.
Ground was broken at the site, signaling the beginning of the project, on Sept. 25, 2013.
Trussville City Schools officials are targeting Oct. 3 as the opening date for the new stadium, when Hewitt-Trussville hosts Oak Mountain. The Huskies play two more home games after that this season, on Oct. 24 against Hoover and Oct. 31 against Clay-Chalkville.
Regardless of the weather, Blalock said the company is making every effort to get the stadium ready for at least a home game this season.
“We look forward to opening the new football stadium and also know it will be a tremendous accolade for the city of Trussville,” Blalock said.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
