Columbus approves amended NexusPark fieldhouse plans

The city of Columbus is ironing out the final details for the construction of a $27.2 million sports fieldhouse on the north side of the former Fair Oaks Mall.

The city’s board of Public Works and Safety yesterday approved an amended agreement with Force Construction for the final proposal, including two alternates for the project. Jamie Brinegar, the city’s finance director, said that those alternates would include increasing the concrete thickness to seven inches and building an 11 foot concrete curtain wall around the bottom of the facility to protect it from damage during sports events. Those alternates increase the base bid of $25.7 to $27.2 million.

Brinegar said that the city will pay about $25.7 million for the project from bond sales. The city will contribute $1 million from COVID-19 relief funds for drainage work at the facility and the rest of the money would come from donations and other city reserve funds he said.

The city expects demolition work on the former Goody’s space to start in August. With a delay in steel construction materials, work on the facility will likely start in February, wrap up in October or November of next year, with the first events taking place in the completed building in 2024.