New Elevator Marks A Major Step Toward Move

BRISTOL, Va. – Thursday’s elevator installation signaled one of the final major steps before the city’s Parks and Recreation Department can move into its new offices.

A crew from Vertical Solutions in Limestone, Tenn., installed the free-standing elevator at the rear of the department’s new home – a former farmhouse adjacent to Sugar Hollow Park.

The unit, which cost about $24,000, will make the second floor accessible to those with disabilities and comply with federal laws, department Director Kevin Dye said.

“It is going real well,” Dye said of the project. “We still have some renovation to do inside the house, but we hope to be moving in by the middle of February.”

Dye said the elevator was one step taken to make the two-story, white house compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others include the addition of a first-floor bathroom and the widening of some doorways for wheelchair access.

“About 90 percent of the work has been done by parks and recreation personnel, so we’ve paid their salaries, but it’s not like paying a carpenter or a plumber to do the work for profit. We’ve got some real-talented folks,” Dye said.

City crews also have upgraded the electrical wiring, installed the additional restroom, created a driveway and parking lot and made other improvements.

Only the elevator and the heating and cooling system were contracted out, Dye said.

Inside, the home’s original, dark-stained hardwood floors and staircase have been retained – as has much of the original woodwork.

“We wanted to retain as much of the old farmhouse feel as we could,” Dye said.

Formerly housed beneath the bleachers of Gene Malcolm Stadium, the department was forced to abandon its offices last year when an extensive mold problem was uncovered.

City leaders opted to relocate the offices rather than rehabilitate and reuse the space. Department employees have been working in temporary quarters inside City Hall for almost a year.

Last summer, the city bought the two-story house and four acres adjacent to the park entrance. Work began there in October.

The project remains on schedule and budget, Dye said.

Project costs include about $70,000 for repairs at the stadium, $204,000 to buy the house and land, and about $80,000 for improvements to the house and grounds.

The city also recouped about $45,000 by selling 2.6 acres to Washington County for additional parking for John S. Battle High School.

“Since the estimate to retrofit the offices at the stadium was more than $600,000, I think the city came out pretty good,” City Manager Bill Dennison said Thursday. “Plus, that is a better environment for the headquarters for parks and rec.”

Plans call for improving pedestrian access from the nearby high school to the park, Dennison said. The grounds also will include picnic tables for the public, Dye said.

Inside the house, the ground floor will include a conference room that will be available to schools and the public.

“It will be set up to accommodate up to 25 people, so if John Battle or Virginia High or one of the middle schools wants to do a field day, they can do some classroom instruction and then visit the wetlands area,” Dye said.
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