Facilities study recommends replacement
By Bert Lehman
A facilities study recommends the grandstands at Don Jirschele Stadium at W.A. Olen Park be replaced due to safety concerns.
According to the facilities study, conducted by Barrientos Design & Consulting of Milwaukee, the concerns about the open metal grandstand revolve around the bleachers being open with no riser panel. This could allow a small child to slip and fall through them.
The ramps leading to the north grandstand are also not accessible for people with disabilities and are “too steep for typical pedestrian traffic.” This grandstand also does not have accessible seating.
Due to the safety concerns, the study recommended all the bleachers be replaced at an estimated cost of $100,000.
The covered portion of the grandstand is also a concern.
“The columns that make up the western portion of the roof structure are concerning as the columns appear undersized and bowing and they do not have any cross-bracing support,” the study states.
The study also states an inspection showed the structure lacked stability in one direction. Some light cable bracing had been added for additional support.
“It is reasonable to state that the structure may be unsafe with the conditions observed,” the study states. “We cannot guarantee the safety of the grandstand without performing a full analysis on the structure, which is out of the scope of the assessment.”
The steel structure is also rusting.
The study recommends the roof and structure above the grandstand be removed. A new structure could be built, while the I-beams and concrete wall that make up the backstop could be reused. The study estimated this would cost $60,000.
The study also revealed structural issues with the announcer’s booth at the stadium.
According to the study, “A concrete floor on the first level also has a significant crack and slopes nearly a foot over 10-feet. Fill beneath the slab was likely not compacted when slab was poured.”
The study recommends the steps into the building, as well as the doors throughout the building, be replaced.
The study recommends the announcer’s building be replaced when the bleachers at the facility are replaced. The estimated cost for a new announcer’s building is $60,000.
According to the study, the concession building is in “really poor condition.”
“Much of the masonry block is damaged, cracked or spalled. You can see through some of the cracks into the building,” the study states. “The building is uninsulated stack-bond and has no vertical masonry control joints. Such construction is very conducive to the cracking observed.”
The building that houses the restrooms is constructed similarly to the concessions building but is in better condition. Only some of the mortar joints at the base of the building have deteriorated.
Although both the men’s and women’s restrooms have accessible ramps, the “toilet facilities themselves do need ADA upgrades.”
The parks warehouse was included in the study and found to be in poor condition.
However, the city is in the process of having a new parks warehouse constructed.
The restroom facility in the park area of Olen Park is in good condition according to the study, but the interior is not accessible, and neither are the stalls.
The north park shelter, as well as the concession, restroom and shelter building at Bucholtz Park, are in mostly good condition, according to the study.
The concession, restroom and shelter building in the center of the park need accessibility upgrades.
“Several of the tied rafters in the concessions area are rotted and have been scabbed together,” the study states.
The cost to fix the Clintonville parks facilities’ “critical” is estimated to be $428,200.
Problem areas that should be fixed within the next year or two amount to an estimated $196,000.
Areas that can wait five to 10 years amount to an estimated $168,200.
Clintonville City Administrator Sharon Eveland told the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette, “We understand there are concerns regarding the grandstands and we are looking at our options to address them.”
Barrientos Design & Consulting also produced facilities studies on the city’s public works garage and fire station.