Blytheville gym nears completion

The new Blytheville gymnasium is nearing completion but will not be finished in time to host a Chickasaw basketball game this season.

Friday afternoon, Blytheville School District Operations Manager Brandon Harper and Baldwin and Shell assistant superintendent Ray Johnson gave a guided tour of the new gymnasium to the NEA Town Courier.

The gym floor is completed and the ground bleachers will be put down next. The bleachers are scheduled to arrive and be installed on Jan. 27, according to Johnson.

He added the process of installing the bleachers would take two-three weeks.

After the bleachers are installed, crews will do the millwork; the Department of Corrections is contracted to do the work.

Millwork includes trophy cases for the lobby, countertops for the bathrooms and concession stand, along with refrigerators and stoves in the concession stand.

The gym has a maximum capcity of 3,000 and holds 2,200 for ballgames.

Johnson added the 2,200 seating capacity was the most until Fort Smith built their new gym, which has a sitting capacity of 2,300.

Harper said because of the size of the gym, the Blytheville School District would be able to hold tournaments.

The basketball goals will be mobile, so they can be moved in for events such as graduation inside the gym. The goals on the side will fold to the middle so people in the bleaches will have an unobstructed view of the floor during events.

When the gym opens for games, the crowd will go upstairs and then walk down. According to Harper, the court will be restricted. He added the gym is handicap accessible with elevators.

Johnson added there would be roughly five feet from the bleachers to the player’s bench.

Security wise, Harper stated that there would be metal detectors when you walk in and officers on duty. He also added there are 22 cameras, with audio, surveying the gym as well.

There will be a concession stand on both sides of the gym. Also, unlike the current gym, you can get your concessions and still watch the game, along with bathrooms on both sides and levels of the gym.

Due to timeline of completion, basketball games for the 2019-2020 season will not be held in the new gym.

When asked what are some events that will be held in the gym this school year, Harper stated graduation would still be held at Haley Field. However, in the event of inclement weather, graduation would be held inside the new gym.

He noted the district will provide guided tours by former Director of Facilities and Blytheville alumnus Randy Jumper. Tours will be announced closer to time. The tours will be for community members and former Chickasaws.

Blytheville Superintendent Bobby Ashley also stated the district will hold a ribbon cutting once the facility is turned over to the district.

When asked the plans for the current Chickasaw gymnasium and the girl’s gym, Harper stated, “It will still be maintained. There are no plans to shutter it.”

When asked how much the new gym cost both Harper and Johnson stated they’d have to re-look at the budget for the exact cost but it was “slightly under $10 million,” around $9.7 to $9.8 million.

According to an article published on Jan. 25, 2017 in the Courier News the total project cost of the new gym was $9,104,921. According to a Dec. 2018 article the gym was around $9.4 million and scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1, 2019, but due to heavy rainfall in 2019 the project was pushed back. Also, the district forgot to include architect fees, which were $700,000.