Community center in Jackson likely to be named Jackson Civic Center

The Jackson community center is taking shape, but it may not be called the Jackson Community Center.

As construction moves past the initial phases and nears the point involving signs, the Jackson Civic Center Building Committee sought the board of aldermen's opinions regarding what the official name should be.

Although the project has been known colloquially as a community center, the building committee recommended calling the building the Jackson Civic Center.

Jackson public works director Rodney Bollinger said the building's overall construction progress stands at about 40 percent complete, and the board has about a month to finalize the facility's name.

Jackson City Administrator Jim Roach said after being provided with a list of several names, the building committee felt "civic center" was the most inclusive option and a more appropriate way to refer to the range of activities that will be at the facility.

"It also got a few less letters and that kind of thing," he said, explaining how it could save space on signs, stationery and other materials.

Also discussed at the meeting was the approval of a change order decreasing the center's building contract amount by more than $20,000.

It's the third such order the board has approved so far, in which the project has seen about $400,000 deducted from the original budget. Bollinger said the bulk of those cuts came from early budget pruning and smoother-than-anticipated construction, despite a few delays because of inclement weather.

And, Bollinger added, now the most expensive element of the building -- the 1,990-person-capacity FEMA safe room -- is installed, the construction pace will pick up even more. The room is designed by meet Federal Emergency Management Agency criteria to withstand tornadoes.

When the building pace picks up, there will likely be more change orders, but those will add features back into the budget. Bollinger mentioned things such as additional basketball hoops, better lighting and flagpoles for the United States, Missouri and city of Jackson flags as items slated for re-inclusion.

tgraef@semisourian.com

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