Putnam County has awarded the bid for a roof structure over the new grandstands at the county’s fairgrounds on Tennessee Avenue.
Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said bids came in under budget. Porter said strong interest from contractors resulted in favorable pricing.
“We had a lot of interest in the bids this time,” Porter said. “We had eight different bidders, and some really good pricing came in under budget, so we’ve awarded the bid.”
Porter said the project will add a roof over newly constructed grandstands that seat about 6,000 people at the new fairgrounds.
“These new bleacher-type structures are made out of aluminum and steel, so they don’t break down like the old concrete and wood ones did,” Porter said. “But because they’re aluminum, they get hotter, so we’re putting a roof over them like you see at most outdoor grandstands.”
Porter said the bid was awarded to Core Construction Company of Smyrna. Porter said work will begin once materials arrive, with framing and roofing already ordered.
“They were the low bid and a very reputable company that does a lot of work in Middle Tennessee,” Porter said. “We were very, very pleased with the pricing that we got.”
Porter said coming in under budget could allow the county to complete additional projects sooner than planned.
“It is going to allow us to do a little extra,” Porter said. “Some things that were probably going to have to be pushed into next year’s budget, we may be able to go ahead and do this year.”
He said the county is also waiting on a state contract tied to a separate project at the fairgrounds.
“We got almost a nine million dollar grant from the state to build a new Expo Center,” Porter said. “We’ve got everything ready to go, but we can’t put it out for bid until we get that contract from the state.”
Porter said construction is nearing completion across the new fairgrounds, with barns now going up as the final major component.
He said the convention center has already seen strong demand and continues to be a popular addition for the county.