TARGETED IMPROVEMENT SPLOST
PROJECTS MAKE HEADWAY
By Olivia Morley
Since the last time the special
purpose, local option sales
tax committee met in 2019,
both Rome and Floyd County
projects have seen significant
advancement despite the
pandemic.
After several delays, the 2013
SPLOST-funded airport runway
extension project is finally
underway, beginning with
the first phase of the grading
project in February.
The 2013 SPLOST set aside
a little over $5.7 million and
about $1.2 million has already
been used. They plan to award
the second and third phase,
which will handle paving and
electrical aspects respectively,
later this year.
“Phase I is expected to be
completed in the fall of 2021,”
County Manager Jamie McCord
said. “So far so good on
chopping that project up. We
were severely over budget the
first time around and got that in
order this past fall.”
The project itself is expected
to be completed by the end of
2022.
The 911 Center was included in
the 2017 SPLOST for $257,000
in improvements. However, it
has been delayed, mostly due
to COVID-19, after a request
from department Director John
Blalock. After discussing with
the county manager, both
agreed it would be best for the
safety of the workers to delay
the project.
“We probably won’t do it until
2022,” McCord said.
The Silver Creek Trail
extension is budgeted for
$200,000 for the year, and the
county is in discussion with
Norfolk Southern for property
acquisition and trail alignment.
Almost $600,000 has been
put aside for the total project,
which McCord said, is expected
to be complete late 2021 or
early 2022.
The enclosure of the State
Mutual Stadium terrace is also
expected to be complete in
the first quarter of 2021 before
baseball season starts, with
Brooks Building Group under
contract for $1,473,086.
One of the biggest projects
in the 2017 SPLOST is the
Agricultural Center. McCord
said they are also evaluating
potential sites for the
project. About $8 million is
earmarked for the project and
it is expected to be complete
sometime in 2022 or 2023.
During the meeting, McCord
said he is in discussion
with Rome-Floyd Parks
and Recreation Director
Todd Wofford on potential
locations for the blue ways
SPLOST project. Blue ways, or
waterways, are scenic routes
based on the rivers. Right now,
it’s tentatively scheduled for
completion by 2022.
The waterways project is in
partnership with the city, which
plans to renovate the ECO
Center and build a new boat
house as well, using SPLOST
money.
On the city side of SPLOST
projects, City Manager Sammy
Rich said they are planning
on getting the East Central
Secondary Access Road project
ready “as soon as we can.”
“I know that anyone that
drives down Dean (Avenue)
or takes their kids to or from
East Central (Elementary) will
appreciate this,” he said.
The $395,000 SPLOST project
will be out for bid as soon as
the design is finished by inhouse
engineering.
The $2 million streetscape plan
for the River District is also
underway after Goodwyn Mills
Cawood has been engaged to
do the conceptual planning for
the project.
Rich described it as one of the
most exciting SPLOST projects
and said the community had
a very positive response to
the initial concepts back in
September.
“It’s ambitious, we’re probably
going to end up breaking it
into phases so we can eat that
elephant one bite at a time,”
the city manager said.
A request for proposal for
engineering design services
will be coming in the spring,
according to Rich.