The city of Columbus will move forward with the first phase of construction on the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater after approving $3.2 million in bids Tuesday evening.
The city awarded four contracts: plumbing to Perma Corporation for $189,420; the stage to Gregory Construction Services for $1.39 million; civil site work to Gregory Construction for $1.31 million; and electrical to Webster Electric for $393,696.
The city first advertised the amphitheater as a single general project. However, in April, councilmen rejected the bids and re-advertised the amphitheater as a collection of smaller, focused projects when the lowest general contract bid, from Gregory Construction, came in about $1 million over the expected $3 million project price.
Neel-Schaffer Vice President and City Engineer Kevin Stafford said by breaking the project up into smaller contracts, the city can move forward with the funding it has available, and save other parts of the amphitheater until additional funding is available. He said it also allows the city to negotiate the price down as far as 10 percent.
The city will keep bids for permanent seating, concessions, restrooms and fencing under advisement. The total cost for the full project is about $4.6 million.
“All the infrastructure, all the water and sewer will be in place. All the electrical will be in place,” Stafford said. “You could have a show on day one. It would just be a grass seating venue.”
The amphitheater is named for the late District 17 state senator. The Legislature has appropriated money for the project as part of a planned Riverwalk extension and quality of life improvement project. Stafford said the Legislature appropriated $2.25 million last year and $1.1 million this year.
It will ultimately seat 3,500 people, according to current plans. Capacity will be split between space for 1,750 people in lawn and general admission seating, 1,083 permanent chair back seats, and room for 615 people in a flexible seating area in front of the stage.
The facility will also feature a 42-by-56-foot stage and seven food/beverage windows for concessions. It’s planned to have three entry gates, including Americans with Disabilities Act ramps, and administrative facilities will include security, two ticket windows, first aid and event and janitorial staff facilities.
Stafford said the bidders will have 270 calendar days to work, which should allow the project to meet a planned April completion date.
Club manager asks for more capacity
Larry Golden waved his hat to the crowd as he abruptly left the council meeting following his citizen comments.
Golden, who operates the After 7 nightclub on Highway 69 near the former site of Omnova in Columbus, went before the council to complain that building inspector Kenny Wiegel wouldn’t re-measure the building capacity at his venue, and walked out of the meeting when it became apparent that he wasn’t getting what he was after.
According to Golden, who said he measured his venue himself, After 7 should have a 227-person capacity.
The problem with that, Wiegel explained to the council, is that Golden’s request is physically impossible.
Wiegel said night club capacity is determined using a formula that allows 15 square feet per person in a venue’s usable space, which excludes areas like restrooms or kitchens, and items such as pool tables that take up floor space.
After 7, Wiegel said, has a total floor space of 2,301 square feet, with a net usable area of 1,965 square feet.
“If the entire inside of the building was the net floor area, which it’s not, (capacity) would still be only 153,” Wiegel said.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage said After 7 would need 3,405 square feet of usable space to hold the capacity Golden claimed it should have.
Golden claimed the venue should have the capacity recounted because he cleared out some kitchen and office space. Wiegel said the building was modified without a permit from the city.
Wiegel said he refused to recount capacity when he learned that After 7 had been temporarily closed after being 74 people over capacity.
“I would not be coming out to meet with an establishment that was not compliant with the occupant load that was set,” he said. “And I did not go out there.”
Fire Chief Greg Andrews said the club was closed after a routine monthly inspection. He said a battalion chief and captain went to the venue, performed the inspection and left when they received a 911 call that said the venue was overcrowded.
Golden previously managed several other club sites in Columbus and Lowndes County, most notably the now-defunct Heidi Ho at 106 22nd St. S. — the site of a New Year’s 2015 shooting where the DJ reportedly killed a patron.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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