Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd speaks with members of the East Ridge Alumni and Supporters Association, Monday night, at its meeting at the high school.
Members of the East Ridge Alumni and Supporters Association heard from Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd, Monday night, at the organization’s meeting at East Ridge High School.
Commissioner Boyd said that the county school board’s transfer of the high school and middle school’s athletic fields to the City of East Ridge was “a done deal.” He said that the appearance of Hamilton County Schools officials before the County Commission in recent weeks concerning the transfer of the land was a mere formality.
The transfer of the property to the city now clears the way for Commissioner Boyd to contribute more than $50,000 to the effort to build a field house and other ancillary facilities at Raymond James Stadium. Those funds, Commissioner Boyd said, will be going into an account at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga that is earmarked for the East Ridge Alumni and Supporters Association.
Last fall alumni association officials announced that an “anonymous donor” would match the fundraising efforts by the organization if it raised more than $50,000. The association had an aggressive membership drive, put on a golf tournament, silent auction and other festivities to raise money. The total exceeded $70,000. The “anonymous donor” turned out to be Commissioner Boyd, who was prohibited from contributing money from his discretionary fund to the school.
Thus, the transfer of the property had to be made in order for Commissioner Boyd to make the matching donation.
“This is such a good thing for the community,” Commissioner Boyd said of the City of East Ridge assuming control of maintenance for athletic facilities. “I’m ecstatic.”
He praised the efforts of East Ridge School Board member David Testerman in helping facilitate the deal. He said that Testerman told him that getting the school board to hand over the land was “the hardest good thing I’ve ever tried to do.”
The group discussed the idea of using recycled material from the city’s dismantled No. 2 Fire Hall that is in storage. A quote of $50,000 has been given by a contractor to reassemble the building on the northeast corner of the stadium. The contractor is the same one that took the fire hall down. The $50,000 price tag does not include a concrete pad or the installation of electrical or plumbing utilities.
ERHS football coach Tim James said he envisions the field house being utilized for a weight room, coaches offices, locker rooms and a meeting room.
Area businessman Emerson Russell, who is a member of the association, said that it has been his experience that using recycled material can be more costly than starting from scratch. “I’ve found it easier to buy a brand new building, that way you know what you’ve got.”
Association President Bobby Hudgens said that the group did not want to just put any kind of building up, but that it wants the building to be “state of the art.”
According to the terms of the agreement, the City of East Ridge must make substantial improvements to the athletic fields _ which includes the baseball, softball and soccer practice facility, along with Raymond James Stadium _ within one year.
Commissioner Boyd said he anticipated that a permanent field house for Raymond James Stadium would be at least under construction by this time next year.
The association is planning its next meeting for the first Monday in May. The meeting will be held in the ERHS library at 6 p.m.
The association is also planning another benefit golf tournament tentatively scheduled for the first Friday in August. Last year’s tournament was held at Brown Acres and raised more than $40,000.
